Victims of Circumstance
by Roslyn1213
Summary: Edward and Bella are married and enjoying their existence, when an unforeseen event forces Edward to bond with a beautiful stranger. Can newborn Bella share his affections considering her turbulent at times friendship with a certain young wolf? Rated M for language and Lemons in later chapters. R
1. Chapter 1

**Here are so key factors on this story**

**1. This story is set after Edward and Bella****'****s honeymoon in Breaking Dawn and Bella did not get pregnant.**

**2. Bella****'****s transformation came soon after they returned from their honeymoon and the circumstances will be explained.**

**3. Renesme will be a character in my story, but will not be E&B****'****s daughter. She will be connected to Bella in a different way with a different name. ;-)**

**4. The almost battle with the Volturi did not happen because there was no reason for it to have happened in this story. There was no "immortal child" so Irina had no reason to go to the Volturi.**

**5. The wolves can read each other****'****s thoughts even when they are not in wolf form as long as they are within a reasonable distance (1-2 miles). They can communicate at a much further distance when in wolf form.**

**I hope this explains where this story begins in my eyes. Please note that the University the Cullen****'****s attend is not a real school in British Columbia. There weren't****'****t many to choose from there.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephanie Meyers has that privilege. The plot of this story is mine; I just use her characters.**

**Victims of Circumstance**

**Chapter 1 **

**EPOV **

Today was like most other days, only now we were no longer in Forks; we were in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. I'd experienced the thrill of moving away and beginning again often within my lifetime. However, this time around I had the love of my existence by my side which made my overall outlook on the future much brighter.

It had been about 2 years since we were married and left the small rainy town of Forks. Picking up and leaving had never mattered to me in the past, but it was different this time. Forks brought Bella and me together, so leaving was somewhat bittersweet. We would visit from time to time but would not be able to live there permanently for many years to come.

The one thing I would miss the most about that rainy little town is our meadow. The thick, wavy, green grass and the colorful blossoms against Bella's skin were truly a sight to behold; it's occupied my mind on many of occasions.

Luckily, Prince Rupert is one of the rainiest places in the world, much like Forks. Sunny days were rare and far in between. The town probably got sunshine no more than 100 days out of the year, so we wouldn't have to disappear as often as we did when we were in Forks. There was easy access to the forest and wildlife was plentiful, but we still took the occasional hunting trip when we were in the mood more dangerous, illusive prey.

The population was much larger than Forks; a little over 12,000 people live in this part of the world. However, where we chose to inhabit was quite secluded, much like our home in Washington. Esme designed the house we occupied now 5 years ago and it was completed just after Bella and I came back from our honeymoon.

Our 3 story house has nine bedrooms, all of which had private bathrooms within. We also have 3 additional bathrooms, one on each floor of the house for guests not occupying a room. Not that we would have much company, but as Esme says, one can never be too sure.

In addition to the normal amenities on the first floor, Carlisle has his own office as usual and Alice has a small studio where she designs most of her clothing when she can't find what she's looking for off the rack. Esme also added a room for herself where she could work on any housing ideas that that might pop into her mind. She has a tendency to redecorate our other properties as time goes on, so she needed her own space for that.

I wasn't't the least bit surprised that Esme did not give me a space to compose music. She enjoyed listening to me play far too much for me to be hidden away.

"Such beautiful sounds should be upfront and available for all to enjoy, Edward. Your piano shall remain in the living room dear," She always says. Who was I to deny my mother anything she wishes?

If someone would have told me that my life would eventually be filled with such happiness and contentment, I probably would have called their mental faculties in to question. But, I assume love has a tendency to bring about changes in ones genetic makeup that you would never think were possible. I wouldn't change it for anything in the world.

My new found fondness of Forks was not the only reason I was reluctant to leave. It's impossible for me to express the depth of the guilt I feel knowing what my Bella has had to give up for me. A part of me knows that she did so of her own free will, but I will always feel as though I robbed her of a part of herself. Not only has Bella had to give up her humanity and friendships, but also her family, namely her mother.

She would probably never be able to see her again. Just the occasional muffled phone calls letting her know that she was well and enjoying life or maybe a letter. No matter how hard she tries to hide it from me, it's obvious that this part of the situation would always be difficult for her.

Just after our honeymoon, we set the date for Bella's transformation. Exactly one month later, we journeyed to a small, secluded cabin we owned within the Aspin Mountains. My family accompanied us to offer moral support. They knew how difficult this would be for me knowing how much Bella's blood appealed to me. This was a very emotional time and I secretly hoped that Bella would have changed her mind.

(Flashback)

"_It'__s time Edward," Carlisle said as he appeared at my side placing his hand on my shoulder. I took a deep, unnecessary breath to brace myself. How would I be able to cause her intentional pain even if it__'__s what she desires most?_

"_Yes, I __suppose it is. She must be terrified!__"__I said as I rubbed my face._

"_Actually, she__ seems very calm and determined," Carlisle said and I smiled at his comment. Bella was always the pillar of strength. Carlisle and I both walked into the room where Bella was. Alice sat in a chair by the bedside and met my gaze, giving me a reassuring smile. _

'_She__'__ll be fine Edward, don__'__t worry,__'__ she thought. _

_Not worrying, is definitely not an option right now. Alice turned back to Bella and leaned forward cupping her face in both her hands._

"_I won__'__t lie to you Bella, you are about to endure a pain that is beyond comprehension. But please remember that soon, there__'__ll be no more pain, no more fear, and no more limits. All that will be left is Edward and forever my sister," Alice whispered, her was voice thick with emotion. _

_Bella smiled and her eyes turned glossy before she mimicked Alice__'__s hold on her face. They giggled joyously as their eyes connected, pressing their foreheads together. After a moment, Alice stood up from the chair and walked over to me and enveloped me in a hug which I returned. While she held me she pulled me down to her and whispered in my ear so that Bella couldn't__'__t hear her._

"_You are the strongest man I know. I don'__t have to be physic to know that everything will turn out just fine. I__'__m so very happy for you and I love you so much Edward.__"_

"_I love you too Alice,__" I said. _

"_We'__ll give you two a moment. Call me when you__'__re ready," Carlisle said. Alice released me and gave my hand one more squeeze before her and Carlisle left the room, closing the door behind them. I walked over to where Bella was sitting on the bed and kneeled before her. I leaned forward and put my head in her lap, wrapping my arms around her. I felt her hands running through my hair and if crying was possible for my kind, I would have been inconsolable at this moment._

"_I know you'__re worried Edward, but I__'__ll be okay. This is what I want and what we need,__" Bella said._

"_I know it is love, but it doesn't__ have to be this way. You can give yourself more time to think this through."_

"_My __decision was made the moment I saw you in that cafeteria Edward. Before I even knew what you were, I was yours. All I want is an eternity with you and this is the only way."_

"_But to give up so much-"__ She cut me off before I could finish._

"_I'__m not giving up anything. I__'__m gaining more than I__'__ve ever dreamed of. I__'__m gaining a family and most of all I__'__ll have you, completely. I couldn't__'__t have asked for a more perfect existence." I lifted my head from her lap and looked into her eyes. I could see the tears streaming down her face, but, they weren't__'__t tears of sadness. I could see the joy and the love in her stare and I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers._

_I kissed her with a passion I__'__d never felt before. I took in her warmth, her scent, as well as the sound of her heart beat and committed them to memory. When I released her mouth I listened to her ragged breaths and gazed at her flushed face. _

_As I ran my fingers down her flaming cheek, I knew then that this blush and these warm chocolate brown eyes would be missed more than she would ever know. Although those beauties would be gone forever, in the end there was one thing that she would carry over into my world that is far more valuable than anything else to me; and that is her undying love. That would be mine for all eternity. _

_Goodbye my beautiful, fragile little human. _

_I slowly withdrew my hands from her skin, knowing that if I held on any longer, I would not be able to go through with this. I looked over at the door and whispered, "Carlisle". He entered the room immediately and he went to the table and retrieved the syringe filled with my venom._

_He walked over and handed it to me with a smile. Bella lay back onto the bed and gave me a brave smile when suddenly I felt Carlisle__'__s hand grip my shoulder._

'_I know that I don__'__t say this nearly as much as I should but, I love you son. I__'__ll be right here and I won__'__t leave your side.' He thought. I looked at him and noticed the proud expression on his face. _

_This man has supported me through everything. Even when I left him and started down my dark path, his faith in me never wavered. He waited for me for years, knowing that I would one day return, welcoming me back with open arms, giving me a true home to call my own with him. _

_He__'__s wanted this for me from the very start, to find the love of my existence just as he had with Esme. I looked at him and I was so filled with emotion that I couldn't__'__t speak. How do you express your gratitude to someone who__'__s given you so much, who believes in you so completely?_

'_I know Edward. I__'__ve always known; you__'__ve shown me every day,__'__ He thought. I smiled and nodded my head, swallowing the lump in my throat and turned to my love. Bella looked at the syringe in my hand and smiled._

"_I love you Edward, forever."_

"_Forever," __I said. Not giving myself a chance to think about it, I quickly injected the venom into her heart._

_One injection of my venom into Bella__'__s heart, three excruciating bites, and two days later; Bella__'__s heart went silent forever and she began her new journey as a vampire by my side._

(End of Flashback)

The bright side of this situation was the fact that her father knew just enough about her 'situation' thanks to her best friend Jacob Black. So, she is able to keep in touch with him more often than not.

Jacob Black. His name alone can change my demeanor in a nanosecond. One would think after all this time and everything we went through that I would be over my issues with him. I am for the most part, but there is a part of me that will always feel slightly threatened by him. It lurks under the surface of my calm and polite exterior. His attitude towards me has not improved in the slightest and that just adds fuel to the fire.

This boy attempted to rob me of my only reason to exist, so to most it's understandable that I harbor _some_ ill will towards him, is it not? Even though Bella had chosen me in the end and said there was never any question that I was who she couldn't't live without; it still bothered me to this very day that both her and Jacob shared this deep rooted connection that I couldn't't quite understand.

Jacob made it clear that he loves Bella very much, but he accepts the fact that they can have no more than just a close friendship. The boy is a terrible liar. I've seen his thoughts and I know that he hopes she will realize her mistake and change her mind. His fantasies are most enraging.

She'd come to him and say that she made the biggest mistake of her life and beg for his forgiveness. She'd love him all the more because he'd accept her without question, vampire or not, and he'd take her for his own.

Over my pile of ashes will that ever become a reality! However, I can't blame him for his infatuation. It's those thoughts that ignite the hostility within me.

It's upsetting that they share any sort of connection at all, even though I know that the romantic feelings are one sided. But honestly, I have no one to blame for that but myself.

My leaving led to the friendship's intensity in the first place and that's what makes this whole situation all the more agonizing for me.

I find myself wondering if the friendship would have been as strong had I not left in my failed attempt to keep her safe. That one decision, I will no doubt regret for the rest of my existence. I caused her so much heartache and she did what she had to do to survive. He had comforted and protected her when I didn't. I chose the alternative during our separation and exiled myself.

She would skin me alive for feeling this way after all that we have been through, but my self-deprecating nature isn't't something I am able to ignore for too long. So, I keep these feelings to myself and just bask in the blissful knowledge that this beautiful creature was now mine for all eternity. I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth.

We were all enrolled in Anchorage University now and it is our first day of class. My first few classes passed in a blur. I didn't't really need to pay attention considering the fact that I've learned most of the material before. To pass the time, my mind wandered back to our time before school began.

Bella and I travelled alone for a time after her transformation, at the disapproval of my sister Alice of course. She and Bella are very close and I understood her reasons for not wanting them to be separated. However, we needed that time to ourselves to further connect as husband and wife and thankfully, she eventually understood. Alice didn't't have any negative visions so there was no reason not to proceed.

I was able to share some of my favorite places in the world with her and she seemed to enjoy every moment of it. We even swam the Chanel like Carlisle had all those years ago. It was a time that I will always hold dear and remember fondly. However, reality eventually set in and we needed to settle down so that Bella could attend college.

Bella seemed to be adjusting to our way of life exceptionally well being a newborn. We noticed how calm she was from the very start. There were no violent outbursts; no temper tantrums; no losses of control that cost the lives of many on her part. I was sure some of it was due to Jasper's influence, but he assured me that he did little to nothing.

She seemed to be the same Bella that I loved while human and it pleased me that she basically hit the ground running when it came to this new _life_. It was almost as if she was made to be a vampire which is comical for someone who was as vertically challenged as she used to be.

To be perfectly honest, those situations are not something I miss about Bella's life as a human. It was always difficult for me to believe that she had survived as long as she had before she and I met. The thought of this always brings a smile to my face on more than one occasion and when she would ask what was funny, I would just say it was nothing. She wouldn't't appreciate me laughing at her former lack of coordination.

We were all sitting at our new table which was furthest in the back corner of the cafeteria like always. Each of us lost in our thoughts. Being the self-centered being that she is, Rosalie was basking in her own perfection. She loved the fact that she was admired by so many. It somehow validated her. Some things never change apparently.

Emmett was planning some wrestling rematch with Jasper and how he would ambush me when I wasn't't paying attention. Clearly, my brother never accepted defeat easily.

Alice was planning her next shopping excursion and of course Jasper's thoughts were about the hunting trip we were planning. He was eager to find a large black bear that would give him a challenge.

As always, Bella's thoughts were still a mystery to me but her facial expressions clued me in. She stared at me longingly, her eyes taking in my every feature, especially my lips. That always caused a delicious tightening in my stomach.

She still had no idea what she does to me in a physical sense. I met her gaze and gave her a quick seductive wink to let her know her needs were loud and clear, and of top priority. We would definitely be disappearing together later on for some much needed husband and wife time. We'd have to be mindful not to destroy as much of the forest this time.

Glancing casually around cafeteria, I listened in on the mindless chatter of my classmates as usual. I was doing my part to protect my family in case anyone suspected what we were. Their thoughts seemed to settle around us and this was normal.

However, their thoughts were also on one other girl who'd they'd seen in their classes. I looked across the cafeteria and that's when I first saw her for myself.

This girl, like us, was sitting at the farthest table towards the back against the wall of the cafeteria directly across from us reading through an astronomy book. I was by no means ogling her like most human males in the cafeteria were, but for some reason I couldn't't look away from her.

From where she sat, I could tell that her figure was similar to Rosalie's, curvy but not overly so and taller than Bella, about 5'7. She had dark hair that flowed down her back in waves with the brightest green eyes I have ever seen on a human. I remember my eyes being that same color when I was human. If not for her complexion and the obvious blood pumping through her veins, I would swear that she was something other than human, but definitely not one of us.

Her face was oval in shaping with high cheek bones which had a natural blush to them. Her features were so animated that one would think she wore makeup; but that wasn't't the case. Her lashes were long and thick and because of her dark hair color, it made her eyes seem brighter. She was sitting there reading her book while tapping her pen on the table nervously.

There was just something about her that drew me in and made me curious. She seemed different from any other human that I had come in contact with. It was almost as though she just naturally didn't belong amongst them.

I sifted through the thoughts swirling around the room and made my way over to where she was seated and then I realized that there was complete silence from her area. I strained harder to hear her thoughts but there was nothing. The only person this ever happened with was Bella of course which is why I was completely astounded.

Off and on throughout lunch, I kept an eye on her, studying her movements. She ate and drank just like any other human and seemed to enjoy it considering how awful I've heard cafeteria food to be. The human males were plotting their next moves to gain her attention. They could barely keep their eyes or minds off her.

From what I could tell from her body language, she seemed to notice their eyes on her and it made her very uncomfortable. She would shift and smooth out her clothing or rake her fingers through her hair as though it was out of place; as if that was the reason they stared.

My family could relate to her discomfort. Most humans look at us the same exact way, which is a natural part of our makeup. We were always attractive to our intended prey, which helped my kind hunt more easily. But, this creature seemed to have an aura about her that drew them in just the same… very interesting.

Jasper was sitting to my right and turned my head slightly towards him.

"Have you noticed the girl sitting across from us?" Jasper turned in the direction of my gaze and stared at the girl for a long moment. At this point, all of my siblings including Bella turned to see the object of his stare.

Her eyes lifted from her book and she looked directly at me as though she heard every word I said. We all turned away immediately and acted as though we weren't't looking.

'_It__'__s okay Edward, she__'__s no longer looking this way__'_, Alice thought after a little while.

"I've never noticed her before now. She seems very _different_ from most of the other humans here," Jasper said. Even he had a difficult time taking his eyes off her as a matter of fact, everyone did.

"Damn she's kind of hot for a human!" Emmett said. No sooner than Emmett finished that statement, Rose whacked him on the back of his head with her hand using her vampire speed. We all struggled to contain our laughter. One would honestly think that Emmett and Rosalie were in some sort of abusive relationship considering how often it turns to violence.

"Ouch! Rosie! What did you do that for?" He grumbled while rubbing his head.

"That's for saying that another woman is hot right in front of me, you nimrod!" Rose exclaimed, while rolling her eyes at him.

"I never said she was as _smoking_ hot like you are baby. I was just making an observation," he said while giving her puppy dog eyes.

"You're still banned from our bed tonight no matter how much flattery you use," She said. Emmett looked like his entire world was about to implode. "That is, unless you somehow redeem yourself before then." She said giving him a seductive look while flipping her golden locks over her shoulder.

His face lit up and his thoughts began to race. Their banter is comical until it turns x-rated, which it does 98% of the time. I blocked their thoughts from my mind instantly. These too were a little too sexually uninhibited for me to deal with.

"There is something very different about her and I can't put my finger on it. She's definitely not the average human no matter how it appears. I know this is going to sound like a broken record, but I can't hear her thoughts either," I said. Wait for it.

"Again!" They all said together.

Alice was still staring at the girl. It seemed as though she was straining trying to desperately figure something out in her head, but then she just sighed and shook her head.

"I can't see anything, no matter how hard I try, she just comes up blank. Humans are always hardest for me to read but I still usually get flickers, but with her there's nothing," she said. Bella looked at me and spoke for the first time.

"What was it about her that caught your attention Edward, besides her obvious attributes?" Bella said with a slight smirk on her face. Bella was beautiful as a human and that only intensified after her transformation. I will never understand why she would ever feel insecure. It's mind boggling.

"I was only looking around the room and most thoughts were on her, just like your first day at Forks High. No one could ever be as exquisite as you are my love," I said while staring at her full, beautiful lips. "You're quite are adorable when you're jealous I must say," I murmured. She opened her mouth to argue with me but changed her mind shaking her head.

I could no longer resist, I leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Bella smiled and gently ran her hand down the side of my face, gazing into my eyes. At that moment, I was unable to speak. She has no idea what she does to me with just one look! This woman would be the death of me and she would make it possible. Once I was able to look away from Bella, I continued with my explanation.

"It's hard to explain, but something about her drew me in and I thought for a moment that maybe she was one of us, but the heartbeat I hear from her nixed that theory immediately."

Not long after my last statement, it was time for us to begin heading to our next class. I walked Bella to her classroom and kissed her tenderly before watching her disappear inside.

My next 2 classes flew by as usual. Most of the time I just zoned out knowing that there was very little being taught that I hadn't learned before from my previous college experiences. I only went along with college for Bella's sake. This after all is her first college experience and I wanted her to get as much out of it as possible.

My only pleasure with college at this point would be the electives I took. This semester I was particularly interested in my astronomy class. It wasn't't something that required a lot of thought for me, but it would be entertaining all the same. Emmett had this class with me as well and he seemed just as excited as I was.

This was our last class of the day. I noticed immediately that the girl from the cafeteria had the same class. The only thing I learned was that her name was Lana and she just moved here from Missoula, Montana with her family. I know this because our teacher made it a point for each of us to stand up and say a little about ourselves; not my stellar investigator skills.

Weeks went by and I watched her hoping to gain some sort of insight as to why she was so different, but soon gave up. Maybe I was making too much out of nothing. Although I must admit, I would still stare at her from time to time because to me she was like a puzzle that I failed to figure out. I guess I'm more like Emmett than I thought, because failure was not something I dealt with easily either.

Today, our class was taking a field trip to the local planetarium. Our instructor, Professor Judith Wilson is a slightly eccentric woman, who dresses like she was a part of the Woodstock era. Her bifocals seemed to magnify her eyes making them look three times their normal size.

I found it frustrating to look at her for long periods of time because I would find that my eyes would widen without me consciously making them. She was frantically trying to get us all into the bus designated to take us to our location.

"Come on people, the sooner we get there the more time we will have! Let's go!" she said while bouncing up and down. You could tell that she truly enjoyed the subject and seemed more excited than we were about our visit to the planetarium.

It was at that moment Lana once again caught my eye. She made sure she was the first person on the bus and sat in the very front. Like always, she kept to herself but hardly in a rude way. She just seemed distant, almost like she didn't't want to be seen. I could relate to that feeling, most of the time I didn't't want to be seen either.

Almost always, humans thought of us in three ways. Number one: we were objects of lust filled fantasies to the opposite sex or competition to those of the same sex. Number 2: we were freaks due to our unusual looks and lack of social skills. Last, but definitely not least, Number 3: we were frightening and they were absolutely correct in that assessment. I smiled to myself at the thought which got a few gasps from the human females watching me. See what I mean? No privacy here whatsoever!

We all piled into the bus and a short time later, we arrived at our destination. Our guide was going on and on the entire time but I hardly paid any attention to him. I walked around looking at the various displays while making an effort to tune out the river of thoughts swirling around me.

One display in particular caught my eye and just when I was about to make my way around the corner something ran into me. The impact was so hard that I stumbled back a bit. I steadied myself in an instant to find Lana standing right in front of me with a terrified expression. She stared at me, wide eyed for a moment with her arms outstretched as if she were sure that I needed some sort of assistance. How odd.

"Excuse me, I didn't't see you there," She said while looking down nervously. This wasn't't the first time I'd heard her speak, however, this was the first time she addressed me directly.

"It's quite alright, accidents happen," I said to her and decided to smile at her so that she wouldn't be as uncomfortable as she seemed.

I was slightly hesitant to do so because I expected the same glazed over expression most human females had when I did so. Then it would ignite the ridiculous fantasies that would make shudder with embarrassment. I never understood it but it was a way of life. But this girl just looked nervous. I guess it's better than the alternative, so I'm not complaining.

She smiled slightly back at me and walked away as quickly as possible to join the rest of the class. I couldn't't believe that a human could knock me off balance that way. I started to get the impression that she was frightened that she might have somehow hurt me. This reignited my usual suspicions about her immediately.

As she walked away, I took a deep breath to catch her scent. She didn't't even smell like any other human I've encountered. It wasn't't unpleasant by any means, but definitely odd. Our teacher wanted to take us to top level of the planetarium so we all waited for the elevators. There were so many of us that it was going to take a few trips to get us all there.

The students squished themselves into the elevators and reading the thoughts of some of the girls, they hoped that I would be the one that they got to press up against within the elevator. If they only knew the danger of that type of situation, me being that close. I almost laughed outright at the thought of it. I decided that it was best for me to wait for the next elevator to be on the safe side.

Emmett had already taken it upon himself to hop into the elevator with another group of people and they gave him a wide berth. He rarely had to worry about people trying to be close to him. He was much too frightening due to his size to have that worry. I was slightly less intimidating at first glance which is why I had so many little admirers.

When the elevator came back down, I was about to take a step when I realized that I was not alone. Lana was standing a few feet away from me waiting for the elevator as well. It's nearly impossible to sneak up on a vampire and this girl seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. In an attempt to remain the consummate gentleman, I extended my hand towards the open elevator while holding the doors open with the other.

"Ladies first," I said with a friendly smile.

She returned my smile with a shy one of her own and entered the elevator as I followed. I pressed the button for the top floor and the doors closed. We stood there side by side in an awkward silence. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye; I had never been this close to her before. Why am I so obsessed with unraveling her secrets?

Just when I began to berate myself for bringing this up again, the elevator began to shake violently, then dip. There was an extremely loud screeching sound and suddenly the elevator began to drop rapidly. My assessment was quick. The cable broke and clearly the emergency brake wasn't't enough to stop it. For the love of all that's holy! Just what I needed!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

_**Beta'd by SecretNightfall**_

**EPOV**

**Last Chapter: **_**For the love of all that's holy! Just what I needed!**_

I glanced over at the girl in the elevator with me. Her back was pressed against the wall, her hands gripped the metal bar as she held on for dear life, clearly terrified. Our frantic eyes met and we both seemed to be speculating. I personally was thinking about how on earth I was going to stop this from happening without exposing myself and my family for what we were.

My only clue to her thoughts was her expression and it was of sheer terror, which was expected. She shifted her gaze from me suddenly and looked up towards the video camera in the upper left side of the elevator.

_That's odd! Maybe she hoped that security would see us? _

There was little time left to waste and I realized that I had to act now if was going to at all. As I had this thought, the video camera shattered suddenly and fell from the ceiling on to the floor of the elevator. That couldn't have happened at a better time. It was one less part of this scenario I would need to cover up once all was said and done. I honestly couldn't believe my luck, which was ironic to say the least. Most vampires didn't have the best of luck to begin with for obvious reasons.

Not giving myself another opportunity to talk myself out of my decision, I swiftly moved to the right side of the elevator, drew back and slammed my fist through the steel, grabbing onto a rail on the outside of the elevator car. At this action, the elevator came to a violent halt, rocking furiously. The weight of the elevator rested on my forearm as the lights flickered.

This could definitely work to my advantage; there was no possible way a human would still be conscious with such a violent stop. I looked over to ascertain her condition, only to find her staring at me with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.

_How on earth was she still standing! Did this need to get any more complicated than it already was? _

It would seem that some deity in the universe was having a laugh at my expense. She'd seen everything and there was no way to cover it up! Well, there was one way to cover up this debacle.

_No! That was out of the question! I already have enough blood on my hands to last ten lifetimes and I refuse to add to that!_

Lana swallowed loudly as she stared at me in utter disbelief.

"Holy shit! How the fuck are you doing that?" Her voice was a few octaves higher than it should have been as she stared at my arm. I wasn't sure what to say at that point. I had other options besides a death at _my_ hands that I considered, but still, none of them were morally acceptable.

One: I could let the elevator continue to fall, leap out and pretend I was never in it. She would die of course and it wouldn't be by my hands, we could blame that on fate or inadequate elevator maintenance. Take your pick.

Two: I could knock the girl unconscious and risk her having permanent brain damage that the blow to the head would most likely cause.  
Like I said, they were both very unacceptable options.

In the end, I decided to go with option number Three: Honesty. It was the only solution I could deal with, which was strange that I even considered it in the first place considering the one rule for my kind. Maybe the stress of the situation was getting to me. I spoke before I could stop myself.

"I understand that this is probably quite a shock but, I'd truly appreciate it if you didn't say anything to anyone about this," I said while making eye contact with her. The elevator rocked against my arm as I almost laughed at the absurdity of my request. How could I possibly expect her to react calmly to something like this? I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings when out of nowhere we heard frantic voices on the other side of the elevator doors.

"Please remain calm! This is security. We will get you out as soon as possible. Is there anyone there? Answer if you can hear me," a man shouted.

I quickly focused in on their thoughts. They assumed that the emergency break had stopped the car from falling and were desperate to get us out before it too failed, not realizing that the brake did nothing to stop the fall. Lana and I made eye contact once again. She stared at me for what felt like an eternity, almost as if she was debating with herself. The poor child was probably in a state of shock.

The next thing I knew, I saw a thin piece of metal slide in between the doors and I knew then that my efforts were in vain. My worst fear would soon become a horrid reality. Once those doors opened and I was discovered, I would need to do _anything_ and _everything_ that was necessary to cover this up for the sake of my family and myself. The thought alone of what I would have to do in the next few seconds filled me with crippling despair. More blood would be spilled at my hands this day, of that I was absolutely sure.

Lana's facial expression in that moment changed from a look of shock, to fierce determination. Whatever decision she struggled with became absolute. She walked over to me and wrapped her arm around my waist firmly. Her hold was too strong for someone of her size and especially, her humanity.

_What on earth was this child attempting to do? _

With a force that surprised me, she snatched me away from the wall of the elevator, effectively breaking my hold. Everything happened so fast. The top of the elevator blew off and the car fell from around us. I looked down and watched as the elevator continued its descent. It crashed violently on the ground floor sending smoke and debris in all directions. But, I suddenly realized one key factor of the situation that I hadn't moments ago; we were both still airborne.

_What on earth was happening here? _

"Hold on tight," Lana said urgently. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders firmly in response, too shocked to even utter a single word.

We then sailed through the air and stopped at the doors to the 8th floor. Without hesitation she dug her hands between them and pulled them apart with ease. Once we were in the hallway, I released her. I was rooted to the spot in complete shock and truly took in what had just taken place as the fire alarms continued to wail around us.

_This girl flew us out of an elevator shaft! _

All I could do was watch her as she frantically walked up and down the hallway looking inside the various offices. We were on an office floor and it was vacant thanks to the fire alarm. It became clear that she was checking to see if anyone had witnessed us entering the floor. At least one of us was actually thinking at this point. Had I been in the right frame of mind, I could have told her that no one was here.

Once she realized that we were alone, she slowly turned and faced me. We stared at each other for an immeasurable amount of time, both too overwhelmed with what had just taken place moments ago to utter a word. I finally snapped myself out of my muted state and spoke.

"What on earth just happened?" I felt somewhat dazed and that hadn't happened to me in quite a while. I'm usually calm and collected in stressful situations, rarely surprised due to my ability to read minds.

"Well, it would seem that we both just saved each others asses; and now you know my secret too," she said as she took a deep breath. "We need to get out of here before someone sees us and wonders where we came from."

She was right; we didn't have time to hash this out, especially not here. I nodded in response and we ran to the stairwell, making our way down to the lobby at a normal speed. Security officers as well as other people were swarming the area by the time we made it to the ground floor.

"We've got word from a teacher of one of the groups here that two students in her class are missing and were probably in the downed elevator. We're waiting for an ambulance to arrive although there is no way they could have survived that fall," one of the security officers said to a police officer.

Just when I was about to approach the officers and let them know we were the two they were looking for, I heard voices coming from the stairwells on either side of the lobby. Lana rushed to my side, gripping my arm firmly.

"Please, I'm begging you! No one can know what just happened! Please!" I her eyes were frantic and filled with tears.

What she failed to realize was that I had no intention of telling anyone outside of my household what had just taken place. She had to know that I had just as much to lose as she did if we were discovered. Just then, our teacher, Emmett and our classmates emerged from the stairwells, all frantically shouting and surrounding us.

"Oh my God! Are you kids alright? I just knew you two were in that car," our teacher said. Her hands were shaking as she regarded us. The girl and I spoke at the same time.

"We're fine." The security officers heard the teacher address us and rushed over to ascertain our condition and question our whereabouts. Lana looked at me; her expression was one of sheer terror. I could tell that she was frightened as to what I would say.

"We were just fine Professor Wilson," I said to our teacher then regarded the security officers, "Gentlemen., the elevator was a little shaky, so we decided to get off on the next floor. It must have dropped once it continued its way to the top floor. We were taking the stairs when we heard the alarms go off and decided to come back down," I said as convincingly as possible. Everyone looked relieved and continued to speak excitedly about the incident.

Stealthily, Emmett was at my side with a very nervous expression on his face. I made eye contact with him and shook my head. Thankfully he understood that now was not the time for an explanation. I quickly scanned the crowd and found Lana standing against the wall watching me.

Our eyes locked and she silently mouthed, _Thank you_ to me. I gave her a small smile and nodded my head towards her in response. There was a lot more to her than I would have ever imagined and I was determined at this point to find out everything there was to know about her.

Once we arrived back at the school, there was a crowd of students around. They had no doubt heard what happened at the planetarium this afternoon. I could hear Alice's thoughts and realized that she had already called Carlisle and Esme. They were waiting for us at home and clearly prepared for anything.

Once we were all off the bus, my family ran over to me just as the other student's had done with their friends. It was silly, but we had to keep up the pretense of normalcy. Bella made it to me first and enveloped me in a hug. I held her to me, inhaling as much of her scent as possible as I caressed her back.

I quickly caught a familiar scent and my head snapped in that direction. Lana casually strolled by me and my family. I made eye contact with her and gave her the slightest nod. She took in the faces of my family and gave me a very genuine smile for the first time since I'd seen her. There was no timidity anywhere to be found in her expression.

She acknowledged me with a nod as if to answer an unspoken thank you and disappeared around the corner. I realized immediately that my family saw our exchange and they instantly became serious.

"How bad is it Edward?" Jasper asked in a low and urgent tone. He kept looking back in the direction where Lana had disappeared. His thoughts were suddenly panicked and I worried about what he might do if I didn't have a chance to explain the situation.

"Not here," I said grabbing his arm. "Let's go home and I'll fill you all in once we're all there."

It was a very quiet ride home, each one of us was wrapped up in our own thoughts. I couldn't read Bella's mind, but her facial expressions were easy enough to decipher. It was obvious that she worried for us and I grasped her hand in mine in comfort.

Jasper as always was worried about Alice. He never wanted her to feel fear in any situation so his thoughts were full of possible solutions to the problem he thought we faced. He was off the mark somewhat but that would soon to be rectified.

Alice had already seen bits and pieces of what happened, but not everything. For some reason, she couldn't see Lana's actions at all, she could only see mine. The only other entities we've come across that block her were the Quileuttes, but this was something else entirely.

She couldn't see anyone's future while wolves were in close vicinity, but she saw bits and pieces of mine while I was with her. Where Lana would have been in the visions, there was a dark space, no form that was visible.

As I drove, I replayed the entire incident in my mind over and over again. I knew from the moment I looked at her, that there was something very different about her, but I never imagined it would be this complicated. It's obvious that she is not human, but what could she possibly be?

My kind had special abilities, but this was beyond anything I had ever encountered. Maybe Carlisle would be able to shed more light being that he has lived longer and is much more experienced.

Carlisle and Esme were waiting in the living room when we arrived home, but soon took their place at the head of the dining table when we all entered the kitchen.

"Alright Edward, what happened this afternoon?" Carlisle asked.

My family listened as I explained in depth what happened and as I expected, they were all stunned. I told them about the exchange within the elevator car as well as what happened in the hallway after the incident, and their reactions were very similar to what my own had been.

"What species do you think she is to be able to do such things, since she isn't one of us?" Alice asked.

"I can't even begin to guess. I've never heard of an entity outside of our kind that could do such things." Carlisle responded with a smile while shaking his head. He was excited at the prospect of learning something new. I could only imagine how bored he must be with the same routine decade after decade.

"Do you think that our anonymity is threatened now that she's seen a part of what you can do, Edward?" he asked.

"Honestly? No. I don't think she will say anything."

"What makes you so sure? We don't know anything about her! Who's to say that she won't turn around and tell someone the first chance she gets. We can't just sit here and waste time, we need to come up with a plan to cover this up. If the Volturi finds out someone on the outside knows we exist, we'll all be either enslaved or destroyed," Rosalie said. Bella responded immediately.

"With all due respect Rose, there was a time when you said the very same thing about me. When Edward saved me from Tyler's van, you were convinced that I would tell people and you were wrong."

"Yes, I was wrong. But you were the rare exception, what is your point anyway?"

"My point is that overreacting is not going to help the situation at hand," Bella said calmly. Rose huffed and looked away. She was honestly beginning to irritate me, not that this wasn't already an everyday occurrence.

"As I was saying, she saw me punch through the elevator wall Rose and she acted to protect me. I think she's just as concerned as we are about keeping quiet about this. It's not like she's shouting her own secret from the roof tops, clearly she doesn't want anyone to know. So she's in the exact same predicament as we are," I replied.

"To add to that, she truly didn't have to do what she did to help Edward in the first place. So I think we should give him a chance to at least talk to her and find out what she's thinking," Esme said, speaking for the first time since we had sat down. Reaching over, she grasped my hand in hers and smiled fondly.

"I think it's cool that she can fly! I wonder if I could get her to take me up some time. That would be so awesome," Emmett said. Suddenly, the room was filled with the sound of Rosalie's hand colliding with his jaw.

"Ow, Rose! I've asked you repeatedly not to do that," he said pouting like a child.

"Then stop being an idiot and I will!" Rose exclaimed.

"Emmett please, this is a serious situation. We have to find out what her intentions are so if we need to move on, then we have sufficient time and an appropriate cover. Rose is right about one thing, we do not need the Volturi, or anyone else, finding out about this, otherwise the decision may be made for us and we will not like the outcome," Carlisle said.

"Jeez! You guys are worrying for nothing. The girl had the perfect opportunity to out Edward at the planetarium in front of everyone and she didn't say a word. She was terrified," Emmett stated.

"He's right. I don't believe we have anything to fear, she seemed so concerned with keeping me quiet about the incident that I don't' think she'll dare say anything. However, I will try and talk to her tomorrow and hopefully I will find out more about her. That is if she even comes back to school," I said.

"Do you think she'll run?" Carlisle asked.

"I really can't be certain. But like Emmett said, she was terrified. I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"Alright son, we'll let you handle it as you see fit, but please notify everyone immediately if anything goes wrong," Carlisle said with finality.

"Absolutely,"

"Eddie, don't forget to ask her about taking me flying if she's cool," he said while looking like a kid who asked for his favorite toy.

"EMMETT!" We all shouted in unison.

"Okay fine, I'll let it go... for now," Emmett said frowning like a 6 year old.

_He takes nothing seriously,_ I thought as I smiled to myself. Well, I have my assignment for tomorrow; hopefully I can start figuring things out.

The rest of the day passed without incident, but you could cut the tension in the house with a knife. Emmet, Alice, and I were the only ones in the house who were not nervous. Alice could not see everything that would happen, but she did see us remaining here which meant that everything would be fine, but the future could always change and until things played out, the rest of the family were extremely tense.

Early the next morning we pulled into the school parking lot at our normal time. To anyone not in the know, we all looked as we had the day before, but internally everyone was on edge. I of course did not share their fear with regard to my upcoming confrontation. I was excited to finally attempt to get answers to my questions.

My family headed off to class after wishing me luck, each telling me to let them know how things went once I saw her. Bella wanted to stay with me, but I convinced her that this conversation should probably be between just Lana and me. She pouted shamelessly, which was adorable I might add, but soon realized this was for the best and went on her way to class. I hated the fact that I was unable to walk with her as I normally did, but I had my task and I was determined to see it through.

I looked at my watch and realized that I had about 15 minutes before class started, yet she still hadn't arrived. I had begun to wonder if she would come back at all after what happened. The idea of never getting answers to all my questions was nearly a painful thought. After all I had been waiting for that moment since I first saw what she was capable of.

No sooner than this thought went through my mind, Lana pulled into the parking lot driving a shiny red Lexus X5. She parked a few spaces away from me and proceeded to exit her vehicle, retrieving her backpack from the backseat.

I slowly approached her from behind, not wanting to startle her. However, she suddenly turned and we were face to face, our eyes locking on one another.

She seemed a little shocked at first, but then her features slowly began to relax. The silence was deafening, our discomfort was apparent. So much had happened, so many questions needed to be answered, yet we were both frozen where we stood. I snapped myself out of my cloud and decided to break the silence; however, she seemed to be on the same wavelength.

"Hello," we said at the same time. Our lips twitched and we both reluctantly laughed out loud at our individual nervousness. It wasn't the first time we'd both had the same response. Once we were both calmed down, I decided to introduce myself.

"I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to formally introduce myself yesterday. My name is Edward Cullen," I said with a warm smile. Her quick intake of breath and the quickening of heartbeat, was surprising to say the least and my confusion must have been apparent.

"I'm sorry. It's just that your voice is very…Never mind," she said shaking her head. "It's nice to meet you, officially that is. My name is Lana Lankford," she said with an easy smile while extending her hand. A smile lit my face as reached out to shake her hand and I wondered what her reaction would be to my body temperature. It's something that most people notice immediately and I foolishly didn't think to wear gloves.

As our hands connected oddly enough, she didn't react at all. Maybe she thought that my hand was cold due to the weather. We released each other's hands and both started walking, realizing that we didn't have much time for a conversation.

"I'm sure you realize that we need to have a conversation about yesterday," I said while we slowly made our way out of the parking lot.

"Yes I know we do, but we don't' really have the time right now. Can you meet me behind the cafeteria at lunch?" She asked as she gave me a nervous smile. I agreed and we both went our individual ways to class.

I was antsy the entire morning. I wanted to get this conversation over with but I was also anxious to start unraveling the mystery that was Lana Lankford. The day seemed to go by very slowly, but surely enough, lunch time was upon us.

I met my family outside of the cafeteria to let them know that I would not be joining them today due to the conversation I was about to have with the girl.

_You must stop thinking of her that way, her name is Lana._

They all seemed nervous but they realized that it was necessary. Bella wished me luck and softly pressed her lips to mine and I immediately relaxed into her embrace.

"I love you Edward, please be careful," she said as she tightened her arms around me.

"I love you too. Please try not to worry love, everything will be fine. I'll see you soon," I said as I reluctantly loosened my grip on her.

'_I'll keep an eye on you Edward, just in case,"_ Alice said in her mind.

I nodded my head then turned and headed to the back of the cafeteria and waited. After a few moments, I heard light footsteps approaching me. As I turned in the direction of the sound, Lana stepped into view. She slowly closed the distance between us and stood before me.

"Thank you for meeting me. I'm sorry that I'm keeping you from having lunch with your family today, but this seemed like the best time for us to speak uninterrupted."

"No need to apologize, I understood the reasons for privacy. This is difficult enough for both of us. Let's take a walk in the woods nearby, we shouldn't be disturbed there." She agreed and proceeded to follow me into the trees behind the school.

We walked for about 15 minutes to a fallen tree that I've used as a bench at times. Lana sat down on the tree, perched her bag beside her and stared up at the top of the trees. I couldn't help but ask the number one question that had been on my mind since the moment I saw her.

"What are you?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_**Beta'd by **_**MortalUndomiel**

**Last Chapter: **_**"What are you?"**_

**EPOV**

My question hung in the air as Lana shifted uncomfortably, looking away from my penetrative gaze. It seemed as if she was ashamed, yet I couldn't imagine that her species could be any more frightening or more vicious than mine was. What could possibly be worse than a Vampire? Her response, however, shocked me to the core.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Edward."

"Pardon me?" I was completely flabbergasted by her response. I didn't understand how she couldn't know what she was.

"The Lankford's, who are my parents now, found me when I was little in the woods one afternoon and they have no idea where I came from or why I was there in the first place," she said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"You have no memory of anything at all before that day?" I found it very hard to believe, or maybe I just couldn't imagine it. However, her expression let me know that she was indeed being truthful. I knew my efforts were in vain, but I tried once again to read her mind. The harder I tried to force my way in, I actually felt a slight bend in the block, but whatever wall that surrounded her thoughts, refortified. It was almost as if it was a defense mechanism. When she rubbed her temples and shook her head, I wondered if she could feel my attempted to penetrate her mind.

"No, and there was no sign of anyone else where I was found in the woods, once the authorities sifted through the ash either," she said in frustration.

"Ash? Was there a fire of some kind?"

"My parents said they were hiking at the time, something they would do when the weather was decent. They were in the mountains near their ranch in Missoula and said that very few people chose that particular area to camp. It was a place that my father used to go with his dad and it was kind of a secret because it was very hard to reach.

"They said there was a huge explosion that flattened everything within a least a few miles and caused extensive damage to the area below. Oddly enough, my parents were just outside of the blast zone. I guess they need to thank my grandfather for his choice of camping area, God rest his soul.

"Once the fire died down and the earth settled, my parents decided to investigate, to see if there was anyone that needed help. They found a few people who were unfortunately, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some were alive, but extremely injured. After a while my father decided to go and get help, and of course my mother went with him. Cell phone coverage in that neck of the woods was pretty much impossible. They made their way back to their vehicle and that's when they saw me.

"My mother told me that I walked right out of the smoke towards them. My clothes were burned and torn, but there wasn't a scratch on me. She then wrapped me in a sleeping bag. They assumed at the time that my parents must have either died in the blast or were somewhere nearby, injured.

"They were just carrying me to their truck, when they saw headlights coming up the road. The driver was going too fast and clearly didn't see all the debris all over the road until it was too late. They swerved to avoid a fallen tree and their car flipped over.

"The man was hurt badly and my parents ran over and tried to get him out of the car, but it was on its side. The only option was to break the windshield to free him. They went to their truck to get something heavy enough to do the job and that was when they realized for the first time that I was not human.

"They told me that when they looked over at me, I had peeled back the roof of the man's car with my bare hands and dragged him out. I was very young at the time, yet I was able to mangle a car. My parents came over and carried the man to their truck. They said I stood there staring at them as if I was afraid, and that I smiled at them, and walked over and hugged my mother's leg, a little too tight apparently. She was sore and bruised pretty badly as a result.

"They walked back to the area where they found me to see if there was anyone else, and there were pieces of metal throughout the broken trees. It looked strange to them and they thought that maybe it was a part of whatever caused the explosion, so they proceeded to pile it up.

"My father put the metal scraps in the bed of the truck. The shaping of it was what caught his attention. He said that he never saw anything like it, but then he never seen anything like what I could do either."

"Do you think that maybe it was a," I paused for a moment, because I couldn't believe what I was about to ask. "A ship of some kind?" It just sounded too ridiculous to be that simple. I was under the impression that Superman was a fictional character.

"No. My father insists that the explosion was land-based. He said that they were in the perfect position and that nothing fell from the sky that day," Lana said. So there was no ship, she was already here. Interesting.

I stood there processing everything Lana told me. I found it strange how clearly she remembered the information, especially since she was only a young child at the time, but I decided not to dwell on that right now. I supposed that if those were my only memories, I'd remember clearly as well.

I couldn't imagine not knowing my origins, not having any memory of my life at all. As a vampire, human memories do fade and it's a struggle to remember small insignificant details. However, we do at least remember the important, key moments of our former lives. I can't imagine not knowing who my birth parents were or having to depend on strangers who are not like you in any way to guide you. Alice must have felt the same way when she awoke as a vampire alone all those years ago alone. I never fully understood until this moment what it must have truly been like for her.

I was now more frustrated than I was before because my questions could not be answered. Yes, I know she's not human and I've seen a portion of what she can do. But, where did she come from? Why was she there in the woods alone? I realized that if I'm frustrated merely due to my curiosity, how must she feel? This was her life after all. I had to have faith that the answers would come eventually, at least for her.

After a while she just sat there staring into the trees as though she was right back in that time, experiencing everything she described all over again. Suddenly she snapped herself out of her daydream and looked back at me with a watery smile.

"I've never told anyone that story before; it's oddly freeing to be able to finally share it with someone," she said taking a deep breath and releasing it. "Now, it's your turn. What are _you_? In my experience, no human is able to punch through steel." It was now my turn on the hot seat.

"Well, I was actually human at one time. I became what I am at the age of 17." After all these years of keeping what I am a secret, it was hard to just dive in and disclose everything, especially considering the Volturi. Lana stood from the tree and walked over to me slowly.

"I can see that this is hard for you to talk about, Edward., and I understand that. But, I've just told you my deepest, darkest secret; I think we are way past the pretenses. I trusted you with my story, now you must trust me with yours," she said gently. She was absolutely right. She went out on a limb to share her story with me and I owed her the same courtesy.

I suddenly felt self-conscious. I wondered if she would be repulsed once she understood what I was and what I have to do in order to survive. Will she be frightened and run away screaming, telling all who would listen that I was a monster? I looked at her face and she gave me an encouraging smile, almost as if she were already accepting me for what I was even though she didn't know what that entailed.

"What are you?" She repeated, her eyes staring deeply into mine.

"A vampire," I said. She stared at me for a long moment, expressionless.

"A vampire?" She repeated.

"Yes." After a few moments, her eyes narrowed and her face became a mask of disbelief and sarcasm.

"Honestly Edward, if you didn't want to tell me what you were you could have just said so, instead of making up something so fucking ridiculous. I suppose the next you're going to say is that you keep your cape inside of your school bag," she said while shaking her head.

Honestly, I didn't expect that reaction at all. I never thought for a moment that she wouldn't believe me. I suppose this reaction was better than the screaming and running that I originally anticipated.

"I understand that it's hard to believe, but what I say is true," I said while making eye contact with her.

"If you are a vampire Edward, show me your fangs?" She said as she cocked her head to the side.

"We don't have fangs per say, but believe me, my teeth are extremely sharp," I said.

"You know, for a vampire, you certainly don't seem very scary," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest, and that little comment broke my control. If Emmett ever heard her say those words out loud, he'd hold over my head for years to come and I didn't have the patience to hear it for the next few hundred or so years. It was clear that I would need to teach Ms. Lankford a little lesson about monsters.

I stared at her and gave her my trademark menacing smile as a growl began to build deep within my chest. Her eyes widened as her arms fell to her sides. My body began to shift into a crouch and she took an involuntary step back.

"Umm, Edward?" She said shakily taking another step back as I roared at her caused her body to jerk back in fear as I stalked towards her slowly. "Edward, what the fuck are you-" I didn't give her the opportunity to finish the question as I leaped at her. Her piercing scream filled my ears as we sailed through the air. I landed on top of her, I pinning her to the tree she'd used as a bench by her wrists as I snapped my teeth at her jugular, grazing her skin ever so lightly so that she could feel how sharp my teeth were. She screamed.

"Okay, Okay! I believe you! I believe you! Please!"

I released her and she scooted away from me fearfully. I was slightly surprised that she didn't defend herself, but it could have been shock that paralyzed her. I stood and adjusted my clothing as she continued to stare at me in terror.

"My apologies for frightening you that way, Lana, but I had to show you, and this was the only way I could think of to do that. The only other option would have been to take you hunting with me but I assumed that actually killing a creature in front of you would have been a lot worse than this was."

"You assumed correctly!" She replied with wide eyes.

"I thought so," I said as I adjusted the Cullen crest that adorned my wrist. Lana just continued to stare at me as she got her breathing under control. I could see that she was slowly beginning to accept that what I told her was the truth. She took a deep breath.

"Ho-how did you become a... vampire, Edward?" She asked shakily. "Were you bitten by a bat?"

How humans came up with this nonsense was beyond me. It's comical. As I stared at her I could tell that she was still extremely terrified and I began to regret showing her that side of myself.

"This was truly a mistake. Please believe me when I tell you that I would never actually harm you." I said as I slowly walked over to her. Thankfully, she held her position as I took her hand in mine and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

I went on with my story; how Carlisle saved me, everything. Once I was finished we sat in utter silence not knowing what else to say. We were both overwhelmed by the information we both received. Time was running out and I knew that we would need to begin heading back to school now if we were to walk at a normal speed. I had shown her enough of what I could do today.

"So, the rest of your family, is like you also?" I stared at her for a moment trying to understand how she came to that conclusion. "I couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance in your complexions," she went on to say.

"Yes, we are all are the same," I said quietly. "To humans we would be considered a family, but to our kind, we are a _coven_." I wondered what she was thinking at that moment. I was surprised that she hadn't run in opposite direction after my little display, but she seemed to be lost in thought now that she had calmed down.

"So, you're like, dead?" I laughed a bit at her naivety. She was very funny in her own way.

"Well, in a human sense, yes we are dead. We have no heartbeat, therefore no pulse. My skin is cold and hard and we don't need to breathe."

"How long can you go without taking a breath?" She was shocked.

"Well, indefinitely if we wanted to but, the lack of oxygen does affect our sense of smell which is essential to us when we hunt." Lana closed the distance between us slowly and put her hand over where my dead heart was. She held it there for a while, moving it around.

"My God this is insane," she muttered. We stood there a few minutes more and I looked at my watch.

"We need to start heading back now or we'll be late for class," I said. Lana nodded and reached for her bag.

On the way back I kept steeling glances at Lana as we both walked at a normal pace. Soon we were back at the cafeteria and my family was there waiting. She seemed to tense up a bit at the sight of them but that was understandable. Bella ran up to me and pulled me into a hug.

"Is everything okay?" She immediately turned her gaze to Lana.

"I'm perfectly fine, love; by the way everyone, this is Lana Lankford. Lana, this is my wife Bella and my siblings, Alice and her husband Jasper, Emmett and his wife Rosalie," I said while I held Bella in my arms.

"It's very nice to meet you all," Lana said looking down shyly. "Well, I need to head to class, so I guess I will see you in Astronomy Edward, and Emmett." she said as she swiftly disappeared around the corner.

"I see your conversation went well since you two are on a first name basis now," Jasper said with an arched eyebrow. "I'm assuming that she knows about us, after all, she was positively terrified."

"Yes, I had to tell her. I was also able to find out a few things about her. I'll explain it all at home later," I said smiling back at him.

I shifted Bella to my side keeping my arm around her shoulders and we all started to walk to our classes. After I kissed Bella goodbye and walked to my next class, my conversation with Lana flooded my mind. I had so many questions to ask her and I didn't really know where to begin.

I found myself feeling truly connected to her after hearing her story. I wasn't sure why I felt this way, but she seemed like a kindred spirit, someone who knows what it's like to be different and have to deal with that on their own. But, I at least had Carlisle to guide me and let me know what to expect from this existence. I couldn't imagine not having someone who could truly relate to my nature.

Listening to her story and hearing the sadness in her tone, made me feel for her. I know she has parents that love her, but she still seemed very lonely and could probably use a friend. She reminds me so much of myself before Bella.

After I left Carlisle, I isolated myself to the point where nothing mattered anymore and life became monotonous and blasé. The hunt for criminals to feed on was the only highlight of my time away; the destruction of life that I could never give back.

When I decided to return to Carlisle, things were better for a while. He eventually found Esme and I was thrilled for him. If there was any who deserved happiness and companionship, it was him. It wasn't until he changed Rosalie that I started to feel the pressure to be mated.

Although she was beautiful, I felt nothing for her in a romantic sense. We were barely able to get along and luckily years later, she found Emmett which took the emphasis off of me for a short time, but I was still the odd man out.

When Alice and Jasper joined us, it began to be too much to watch others so happy. I felt as if I was a plague of misery on the ones that I loved to the point where I thought about leaving them once again. They didn't need me there as a constant source of their pity; constantly reminded of my incompleteness. Fortunately, I battled through those feelings and remained with them, which led me to _my _Bella.

What if she feels as I once felt? What if she too feels so incomplete that she considers living a life of solitude to avoid the concerned eyes of the people she loves? I cannot let her make the same mistakes I made all those years ago. She needs her family and she needs friends that she can count on more than she would ever know.

If she were to go off on her own, she would regret it as I had, but it will be much worse. Time means nothing to an immortal and her parents could be dead by the time she realizes her mistake. I had to make her see that she's not alone anymore and that she has me on her side, as a confidant, as a friend.

What was I saying? This wasn't my place, but I couldn't help but feel as if I had to try. I decided that later on in class, I would invite her to our home so that she can get to know my family. She would not suffer my fate if I have anything to say about it, yet I couldn't understand why it was so important to me.

Hours passed and it was now time for my astronomy class with Lana. Emmett met me outside of my last class so that we could walk together, and I could see in his mind that he had questions about my interaction with Lana. Before he could even voice his thoughts, I answered them.

"She seems very sweet, Emmett, but I can't really tell you much else. We didn't really get a chance to discuss anything other than the subject matter at hand. I still have questions for her about the incident amongst other things. So, I thought that in light of this, maybe it would be a good idea to invite her back to our house tonight to get to know her better. Then the information you seek would be first hand," I said while looking at Emmett out of the corner of my eye.

His face lit up. He was curious about her as well and would love to have an opportunity to get to know her.

"That's a great idea, Edward! We haven't had any fun visitors in a while. Do you think it's too soon to ask her to take me flying?" He looked so excited and childlike it was almost unbelievable. I pushed him roughly on the arm while laughing at him.

"Emmett, when are you going to get past the whole flying thing? I swear if you make her feel uncomfortable tonight I will skin you alive," I said jokingly.

"Doesn't anyone else realize how cool that is? I mean who wouldn't want to experience that," Emmett said while nudging me back on the arm.

"Well, I did experience it on a smaller level and it was thrilling feeling so weightless and light, but I was in an elevator shaft and too fearful to truly appreciate it."

Moments later we arrived in class, but Lana wasn't there yet. I knew she sat in the back away from everyone, for obvious reasons. It's harder for people to stare at you if they have to turn all the way around to do so. We still had 10 minutes before class started and I decided that I would offer her the empty seat next to me if she wanted it. No one has ever dared to claim it.

A few minutes later, Lana walked into class. Her head was down of course, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Suddenly, she looked up at me and our eyes locked. I smiled at her warmly and gestured for her to come over to our table. She returned my smile and began to slowly walk over to us. On her way over a boy in our class stepped directly in front of her. She stopped immediately and looked up at him with wide eyes and tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"I'm sorry, excuse me," she said with a smile as she tried to walk around him, but he stepped in front of her again. I focused honing in on his thoughts blocking out all the others to understand what he wanted and I wish I never had.

His thoughts were appalling; he only saw her as an object of lust and had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to ask her out. The only reason he felt comfortable in doing so now was the fact that he saw her smile so that itself gave him the gumption to approach her.

_Coward!_ He reminded me of that pretentious little pervert Mike Newton and his fascination with Bella. But even he, with all his fantasies, wasn't as horrible as this person. This boy was so utterly repulsive that I honestly wanted snap him in half merely based on principle. Lana deserved so much better than that cretin! Where on earth was this protectiveness for her coming from?

"Hey there beautiful, my name is Richard, but you probably already knew that," he said with a creepy smile. Lana didn't seem to understand his intentions and still looked very confused.

"No, actually I didn't know that, but thanks for the info Richard. Now if you'll excuse me, class is about to start," she said sweetly, with a bright smile. She attempted to walk around him again to continue to my table only to be stopped again.

"Oh, it's okay angel. I know you wanted to go out with me, but you were too shy to ask. So, I thought I'd save you the trouble and let you know that I'm available tonight," he said while grabbing her arm, attempting to pull her back towards him. I wondered if he would want to keep that hand after I ripped it off.

"Wait, I don't understand. Why would you think that I wanted to go out with you?" She seemed genuinely baffled by his pick up line and I suppressed my laughter.

"Because you like me and you know that I can show you a good time," he said cockily.

"What?" Lana shouted in shock.

The next thing I knew her hand flew to her mouth and she was in hysterics. She had to practically hold on to a desk to stay upright while Richard stood there with wide eyes completely humiliated.

"I'm really slow today not to have caught on to that," she whispered. "So you're psychic now, right? You know how I feel? Well, tell me, _Richard_, how am I feeling about you right now?" She stopped laughing abruptly and her facial expression turned hypnotically deadly.

Something strange happened then. As I scanned Richard's thoughts, they suddenly went blank and fearful images began flashing. He took an immediate step back staring at her in fear as his heart rate increased exponentially. Her eyes must be very expressive to provoke such an intense response. How odd.

"Wow, you really are psychic! But, you were wrong about my wanting to go out with you, but we all make mistakes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a seat now," she said while walking by him with her chin held high, smirking.

Everyone who was eavesdropping fell into laughter, including me and Emmett. When Lana got to my table, Emmett jumped up and gave her a double high five.

"That was great! I thought Edward and I were going to have to smack that kid around a bit but you handled it like a champ," he said while sitting back in his seat.

"Nicely done, Lana. Who would have thought that you had that in you," I said trying to control my laughter.

"Well thank you both very much. I'm just glad it didn't it didn't escalate. For some reason, I seem to be somewhat of a trouble magnet."

"That sounds hauntingly familiar," I said as I flashed back to human Bella. "Why don't you sit with us today? It would seem that you need body guards to fend off your devoted fans; that is, if you don't mind?" I wanted to give her a choice and not make her feel forced into it.

"Oh..Uh, that would be nice, thank you," she said as she took the seat beside me.

At that moment the teacher entered the classroom and class began. Lana seemed to be totally absorbed in the lecture. Her eyes seem alight with excitement as the teacher went on about the possibility of distant planets that have yet to be discovered. Class ended and we gathered our things to leave.

"Lana, I wondered if you'd like to come to our home tonight and meet my parents and spend time with the family." Lana's eyes widened slightly and she took a deep breath.

"S-sure, that would be nice. What time works?" It was obvious that she was nervous.

"Well, we are all heading home right now so I guess whenever you'd like."

"Well, I need to go home first, so how does 7 o'clock sound?"

"That would be perfect. I will let them know you're coming," I said as we started walking from the classroom. Once we were in the parking lot, I gave her directions to our house. She had this strange expression on her face that I couldn't read. Guilt, perhaps?

"I'll see you in a couple of hours. Bye Edward! Bye Emmett," she called over her shoulder and waved.

We all met at our car and I told them all that Lana was coming over tonight. They all seemed excited to get to know her, with the exception of Rosalie of course. She was still very skeptical and most likely will not be won over easily. Once we got home I told everyone about my conversation with Lana at lunch time. They all listened in on the story she told me about how her parents found her, and how I had to prove to her that I was indeed a vampire.

"That wasn't very nice, Edward. Did you have to scare her like that, dear?" Esme said.

"I didn't want to scare her, but that was the only way to prove to her what I am. I didn't think hunting in front of her would have been the best option."

"Damn! I wish I could have seen her face when you scared the hell out of her Eddie! You make me so proud!" Emmett said.

"Shut up, Emmett!" Rose said as she looked at him in disgust.

"As we digress," Carlisle said as he looked at Emmett. "Any guesses on what the metal her father found was?" he asked.

"I'm not sure; we didn't get a chance to discuss it. We only got to the point where her parents decided to keep her. She's coming over tonight, so I'm hoping to find out more about that her then."

"You seem to be very fond of her so far aren't you Edward?" Esme asked kindly.

"Well, I don't know much about her, but she seems very kind-hearted, and lonely for that matter. I thought it would be nice for her be spend an evening with us, she doesn't have any friends from what I've noticed."

"It's a great idea, it's very difficult to not be able to talk to anyone or let them get to close out of fear. I hope she enjoys her time with us," Esme said.

"I hope so too," I said with a smile. All I could do was hope for a pleasant evening.

**End Note: And there you have chapter 3. As always, let me know what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_**Beta'd by: MortalUndomiel**_

**BPOV **

Listening to Edward just a moment ago made me feel things that I had never felt before; things that I never even thought were possible for me. I could barely bring myself to think it let alone say it aloud, however, there was no denying it. I was… Jealous. As a matter of fact, I was insanely jealous and I didn't know how to deal with this emotion.

When Edward revealed to me that Tanya had expressed an interest in him in the past, I admit I felt slightly intimidated. Who wouldn't be when faced with such a rare and stunning beauty such as her? But Edward's demeanor towards her put those feelings to rest. He seemed so distant and uninterested in her intimately, that I didn't have to entertain those thoughts for very long.

Now, however, Edward seemed to be particularly taken with Lana in a way that I'd never witnessed before. It had only been one day and it would seem that he's already trying to build a closer relationship with her.

What was it about her that draws him in this way? Was it what drew almost every other man in the vicinity: her undeniable beauty? The possibility sickened me. After all we have been through together, there was no way that I could lose Edward. It wasn't an option.

_What am I saying? This is insane!_

Edward and I have been blissfully happy the past few years and I have no doubt that he loves me with every fiber of his being. So knowing this, I didn't understand why I felt so fearful about him developing a friendship with Lana. I know that he feels indebted to her for helping to protect our secret and I understood that but it seemed to go beyond that somehow. There was some sort of bond forming between the two of them that I suspected would only get stronger over time. I could feel it already. The question was: Was I really comfortable with that? In the long run, could I actually accept it and welcome her into our world?

But what could I do about it? Order him to stay away from her because of my insecurities towards to a woman who has yet to show any credible signs of being a threat to my marriage? The answer was obvious, I could never do that. My conscience was too strong to allow me to do something I felt was even the slightest bit dishonest.

What's truly sad is that deep down I knew that he would cut all ties with her for me in an instant if I asked him to. He loves me so much, that he would put his own wants and needs aside without question. One would think that that knowledge alone would give me reassurance and it did, but it still did nothing to ease the anxiety that I felt.

After all that Edward has had to endure in the name of my friendship with a certain wolf, I could never ask him stay away from Lana. He has witnessed firsthand far more inappropriate behavior from me in that regard, especially the kiss that Jake and I shared in the forest that one awful day.

_Ugh!_ _Why am I so selfish when it comes to him? Why can't I stop these thoughts from poisoning my mind and creating these feelings within me? _

The mere thought that this stranger meant so much to him so quickly was driving me to madness, making me want to do unspeakable things to defend what was rightfully mine. What if the bond kept getting stronger and stronger? What if he finally realizes the truth that had been obvious to me from the very start; that I was indeed not good enough for him; that I was _never_ good enough for him and he casts me aside for someone who actually _was_.

_No! I will never let that happen! I will not lose him! I won't!_

I could feel my treacherous body beginning to react. My mind raced with all sorts of homicidal ideas to sate the rage that was brewing within me. The most prominent need was to destroy and when I say destroy I meant anything and everything in my path. I closed my eyes and fought as hard as I could to control myself. When I opened my eyes, movement in my line of sight caused me to look up. Across from me, I noticed that Jasper's concerned eyes were on me.

Suddenly, a wave of calm washed over me and almost instantly, I felt that I could actually think rationally. Never in all of my time of knowing Jasper, had I been more grateful for him than I was at that moment. With a clear mind, I was able to see how crazed my thoughts had become and I was instantly mortified.

_Why is this happening to me!_

How could I have even entertained any of those thoughts? It was absurd. Not to mention the fact that if I caused any harm to this house like I wanted to a moment ago, Esme would have slaughtered me. Especially if she learned that it was over something so trivial. In my shame, I wouldn't even put up a fight, I would have deserved her wrath and then some.

I was completely overreacting to the situation. It was this endearing side of Edward that swept me off of my feet in the first place. It was this good in him that still lingered, the good that he swore was gone forever, that he was displaying towards Lana. I knew that it was nothing more, so where was this coming from?

In my short time of being an immortal, I personally could relate with Lana having to alienate herself from people just to maintain her privacy and how difficult it was. So it's no surprise that Edward would feel the same way.

_Get a grip Bella!_

I closed my eyes and pictured the one event that would change my mood instantly: our wedding day. I smiled in contentment as the images flashed through my mind rapidly. I was certain that this memory from my human life would never fade as long as I existed. The expression of love in Edward's eyes as they met mine as I walked down the aisle has never diminished. I see it every time he looks at me at every hour of every day.

Most have said that once the honey moon is over, things between couples become more routine; not saying that the love they felt for one another fades, it just becomes a simple reality. But from what I've witnessed for myself as well as my new family, love within a vampire union remains as it was from the very beginning and only grows stronger and more intense.

So my mission was clear. I would make it a point to get to know Lana and who knows, maybe then I will be able to understand Edward's fascination with her. After all, you can never have too many friends in life; or in my case, death. I needed to do this for Edward, I owed him that. I just hoped that all of this works out for the best, because I couldn't even imagine what the alternative would be.

**EPOV**

I looked over at Jasper as he continued to stare at Bella in concern. He glanced over at me briefly before looking away when he realized that my eyes were one him. I could see in his mind his concern for her emotional well-being. I was astonished at the severity of her feelings and how close she had come to losing control; but I just couldn't understand the reasons for such a strong urge.

What was it that was causing her stress to where Jasper had to step in? Jasper started singing the star spangled banner in his mind to block me from seeing more. That action only worried me more. My mind raced with possible explanations and I could only think of one that made sense: Fear.

Bella must still be terrified that we will be exposed just as Rosalie was. Uncharacteristically, I trusted Lana to keep our secret. I wasn't sure why I felt that so completely, but there was no denying it.

I gripped Bella's hand and she met my gaze. I stared intently into her eyes, trying with everything in me to convey my assurance. I hoped that I could somehow comfort her and that she would understand that no matter what, I would always insure her safety. I pulled my hand from hers and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, gently kissing the hair on top of her head. All I wanted at that moment was to be alone with her.

"Would you like to go for a run, love?" I asked.

"Yeah, that would be wonderful," she replied with a smile.

We both stood and sped out of the house into the forest. Bella's newborn strength still lingered, so she was able to keep pace with me as we ran with ease. I loved that I was finally able to do this with her, that she could experience this thrill for herself. I just hoped that the new talents that came with her change made her feel that leaving her human life behind for me was worth it.

We stopped once we reached _our_ new special hideaway. We discovered this particular area up the mountain when we first moved here. It was the complete opposite of our meadow in Forks, but equal in beauty and serenity.

Large trees and ferns bordered the area, but not circularly like our meadow. The high trees that hung over-head almost completely covered the sky giving off a dark, cave-like atmosphere. There was a small waterfall that flowed into a stream that was surrounded by large rocks covered in green moss. All that could be heard were the birds and small animals in the trees, and the sound of water as it gently cascaded down the rocks.

I guided Bella to the grass next to the water and sat down, pulling her into my lap. I held her close, planting lingering kisses here and there. Holding her here, away from everyone, was my idea of heaven. Pure and simple. The constant stream of thoughts that was my daily reality were absent and all that remained were me and the one woman I would cherish until the end of time.

If it were possible, I could hold her like this for days, never moving from this spot and be perfectly content. Bella was all I ever needed and so much more. Maybe once she was done with school we could explore this option more thoroughly. I loved the thought of that. In this peaceful setting away from it all, it seemed like the perfect moment for us to talk privately and maybe I could put her fears to rest once and for all.

"Bella, you do know that I will always keep you safe no matter what, right?" I tightened my hold on her.

"Yes, I know that, Edward," she whispered.

"Then what's bothering you?" I asked, perplexed. "Please don't say that you are fine because I can tell that something is on your mind." She was quiet for a moment before she responded.

"I just…I just feel that because things have been so perfect for so long, that something awful is going to happen that will separate us somehow," Bella said. I could hear the fear in her voice and it pained me to my very core.

"Love, nothing will ever come between us again, I promise. I know that situations in the past have caused you to doubt my words, but I will always be by your side, forever." The guilt I still felt for hurting her the way I did when I left was staggering. She turned in my arms and looked into my eyes.

"Don't do that, Edward. All of that is behind us now," she said. She stared at me for a long moment before turning and resting her back against my chest once more. I believed her, her eyes showed nothing but faith in me and for that, I was thankful. Bella was so in tune with me that it was almost hard to believe. She always somehow knew what I was thinking or feeling. She spoke again, pulling me from my thoughts.

"It's not you that I doubt, please know that. I just don't believe that fate is always on our side. I," she paused and gripped my arms, "I sometimes wish that we could all just leave. Just run away from everyone and everything that could possibly hurt us; just the eight of us in our own perfect world that no one else could access." I could relate to that desire, it would make things so much easier if we didn't have the burden of other people in our lives.

"That sounds ideal, and if that is what you truly desire love, we could leave and find a place away from everyone else. Maybe something like Isle Esme?" I said with hope in my voice.

"I can't be certain that the others will be open to an idea like this, but I'm sure that I could find something perfect for the two of us within a few weeks." I truly meant that too. If she wanted to leave it all behind, I would do that for her, as long as she could accept the consequences of such actions.

"You really would do that for me, wouldn't you?" Bella said wistfully as she leaned her head back so that she could look at me over her shoulder.

"Of course I would. I'd do anything to make you happy. Bella, nothing else in this life, if that is what it is, matters to me more than you. But the real question is, could you really completely say goodbye to your father or never speak to your mother again by doing so?" She took a deep unnecessary breath and relaxed further into me, staring off into the water.

"No, I couldn't do that." I had to reassure her and put her mind at ease so that she understood that such drastic measures were unnecessary.

"Love, we're safe. There is nothing to fear I promise you. I will always protect you no matter what. Please don't worry about any of this. I know that someone knowing about us outside of our kind is frightening, but I know that everything will be just fine." She tilted her head back again, staring at me for a long time. I could see her struggling with something in her head and I longed to know what she was thinking. It still bothered me tremendously that I couldn't read her thoughts even after all this time. I caressed her face and stared into her eyes, silently begging her to let me make this alright.

"What is it, love? Is there something else that's bothering you?" She looked away and pulled my arms around her tightly.

"No, there is nothing wrong now. It's like you said, I was just nervous that we could be exposed and what the consequences could be. I never wish to see any members of the Volturi guard ever again." I knew that she spoke the truth in that regard, but I didn't believe her for one minute that that was her only worry.

Bella had always been a terrible liar, I just wished that she would be honest with me and tell me what's really bothering her. I realized that it was her choice to handle her own feelings as she saw fit and that I could also be making this bigger than it truly was, but I also couldn't stand to see her suffer so I had to at least try.

"You can talk to me about any and everything. There's nothing that you can't say to me. If something else is bothering you, please let me help you," I begged.

"Edward, I'm fine, really. I'm just being paranoid. I trust your judgment and if you say that we are safe then I believe you," she said as she lovingly caressed my cheek. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too." I didn't argue the subject any further. I had to trust that she would talk to me when she was ready to. We remained in that same spot for the next couple of hours, just lying in each other's arms and staring at the water. Our time came to an end when we realized that we needed to head back home. Lana was due to arrive in the next thirty minutes.

We made it home quickly and we both went upstairs to freshen up. Bella attempted to lure me into the shower with her and I was so tempted to accept her gracious offer, but I decided against it. Almost every time we have our _husband and wife_ time, Emmett goes out of his way to embarrass us about it.

So unless he was otherwise occupied, we made it a point to not engage but my patience was wearing thin with waiting because of that big oaf. Maybe in the next fifty years, he'll get bored with bothering us. But right now however, it just wasn't worth the harassment and we already had an intense evening planned, so why bother adding any additional annoyances?

Once we were both dressed, we made our way downstairs hand in hand to await our much anticipated guest's arrival. As time went on, everyone began doing their normal evening activities. I was sitting at my piano playing my newest composition as Bella sat beside me with her head against my shoulder.

When I heard a car pull into the drive, I stopped playing immediately. Esme rushed downstairs, anxious to meet the girl she'd heard so much about. Emmett even turned off the video game he was playing, which was surprising since he was so obsessed with it. Alice and Jasper came in from the back door and positioned themselves in the living room as well.

When Lana's car pulled up in front of the house, I heard no movement, just a rapid heartbeat. I assumed that she was extremely nervous about being here and I wasn't sure if her fear was due to social anxiety or the knowledge that she would soon be entering a home that housed eight vampires. For all I knew, it was both.

After a few minutes, the car door slammed and Carlisle appeared out of the hallway from his office to stand by Esme's side. Just before she had a chance to knock, I opened the door and her eyes widened in shock. Her fist was mid-air as if she was about to knock on the door and she immediately dropped it to her side and smiled.

"How did you know I was out here?"

"I heard your car before you even approached the house. My hearing is amplified due to my state of being," I said with a smile, while stepping aside as she walked into the house.

"Super-hearing…Well, I guess we have that in common as well," she said while nodding her head. I chuckled at her word usage as I guided her forward.

"Carlisle, Esme, I would like to introduce you to Lana Lankford. Lana, these are my parents. You have already met everyone else this afternoon," I said.

"Lana, it's so nice to finally meet you. Please, make yourself at home," Esme said as she grasped Lana's hands with both of hers.

"Hello, Esme, Carlisle, it's very nice to meet you both. Your home is so…There are no words," Lana said with an awed expression while taking in the room.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well. My Esme has put quite a lot of time into this house and I'm pleased that you appreciate it," Carlisle said as he stepped forward and shook Lana's hand as she blushed profusely.

"Please come in and sit," Carlisle said. We walked through the foyer that led into the living room where the rest of my siblings were and Alice's face transformed into a brilliant smile. She skipped over and enveloped Lana into a tight hug. I laughed quietly at Lana's petrified expression. There were few who knew how to respond to Alice' immediate invasions of personal space.

"Hi, Lana, I'm Alice. I didn't have a chance to speak with you earlier; it's very nice to see you again," Alice said as she released her. She then started scrutinizing Lana's appearance from head to toe. I was certain that she was sizing her up for one of her power shopping trips or her original designs. All of a sudden, Lana took a deep breath and closed her eyes momentarily.

"It's nice to see you again too, Alice. I love your dress! Is that DKNY?" It didn't take long for me to realize that Jasper had used his abilities on Lana. She had become too comfortable too fast considering how uncomfortable she seemed when she first arrived. Alice almost jumped out of her skin, literally, and went on about where the best malls were within the state.

I was shocked that Lana seemed to be just as enthusiastic about shopping as Alice was. They talked about fashion non-stop and even Rose moved a little closer, but she didn't join the conversation. I could see her eying Lana and even without my abilities, she was like an open book. She constantly compared herself to Lana, wondering what my interest was in her.

One would think after all this time, that Rose would have gotten over the blow I unintentionally inflicted to her ego when I expressed my lack of interest in her. But I suppose being who she was, she was still curious with regard to my interest in anyone else under any circumstances. I could see that Lana noticed Rose's demeanor as well but tried to focus on Alice so that she didn't give herself away. Emmett and I shared a severe look.

_What is Rose's problem now, Edward? First Bella now Lana, I just don't get it. _I looked at him and shrugged, not wanting to let on that I knew anything.

"I noticed your Lexus in the parking lot earlier Lana. Sweet little ride," Emmett said loudly as he stood and walked to stand behind Rosalie.

"Thank you, Emmett. My dad gave it to me as a high school graduation gift and I absolutely love it. I know it's not all that sporty and it would be considered a mommy mobile to most, but it's totally me," Lana said looking over to Emmett with a smile.

"Well, if you ever need any help with it, my Rose here is quite the gear-head. She performs regular maintenance on all of our cars so I'm sure she'd be happy to give you a hand if you need it," Emmett said while rubbing Rose's shoulders.

"Oh, well I'll keep that in mind," Lana said as she looked at Rosalie curiously.

The death glare Rose gave Emmett over her shoulder was classic but he wasn't fazed by it one bit. He knew his wife well and knew that her bark was sometimes far worse than her bite, no pun intended, and he did this on purpose. He was just as annoyed with her attitude at times as anyone else. But that was just Rosalie's nature, take it or leave it.

The conversation continued on casually for a while and I could tell that Lana was warming up to the family quite nicely thanks to Jasper. We all shared stories and of course Emmett, with his new found comfort level, decided to strike.

"So, Lana, I was wondering if we could go flying some time," Emmett said rubbing his hands together.

Everyone in the room froze. I wondered if his question would upset Lana and I carefully watched her expression. No one knew what to say at that point; it was the first time anyone brought up the subject of her powers this evening.

"Emmett, can you please get a hold of yourself?" Esme said sternly before looking over at Lana apologetically. "I'm so very sorry about him dear, he can be a little forward sometimes." Lana surprised me by laughing.

"It's alright, Esme. I'm sure it's something few people have encountered before, unless you're watching television of course." She then looked over at Emmett with a sly smile

"To answer your question, Emmett, I will consider it if you're a good boy. Do we have a deal?" It pleased me to see this playful side to her personality.

"Deal! I told you she'd be cool with it, Eddie," Emmett said. Everyone sniggered while both Rosalie and I scowled at him. He knew that I detested being called Eddie.

"Eddie?" Lana snorted, trying to contain her laughter. "Did he just call you Eddie?" Lana's eyes were practically dancing and she had an amused smile on her face. She could barely hold herself together.

"Don't even think about it," I said to her while I continued to give Emmett my _I'll deal with you later_ look. She cleared her throat and got herself under control.

"Edward, we didn't have much time to talk earlier but I have a few questions for you, if you don't mind," Lana said. The room once again went silent. She looked at me nervously and continued.

"But, before I ask anything, I have a confession to make. I want you to know that I'm not really proud of myself for stooping to this level, but I hope that you understand my reasons for it."

"I'm listening," I said intrigued. What could she have done within such a short amount of time that I wouldn't understand?

"Well, I followed you home yesterday, so I already knew where you lived," she said looking down at her feet."

"How is that possible? We would have smelled _you_ from a mile away," Rosalie said arrogantly.

"Well that would explain why you didn't because I was actually a _few _miles away," Lana said pointing upward. "Once you arrived I listened from a distance." I arched an eyebrow and she pointed to her ear, "Super hearing, remember?" She offered as an explanation.

"I didn't want to get too close since I didn't know what I was dealing with at the time. I'm sorry that I invaded your privacy, but I had to know what you were going to do about me."

"It's perfectly alright, Lana. Following someone who could be a possible threat to your anonymity is not something we all haven't done in the past." I gave Rosalie a pointed look that effectively silenced any retort and continued.

"I, myself, am guilty of the same thing especially when Bella was still human. So, having been in your exact situation before, I understand perfectly why you reacted that way." I didn't want her to feel that she had done something unusually wrong.

"Thank you for being so understanding, it's a weight off of my mind," she said in relief.

"It's nothing, really," I said. She sat up straighter and looked around the room.

"I know that you are all vampires and I've read stories about them thinking that they were just a myth. So for me, that raises one major question. Is it true that a vampire feeds on human blood?" I was just about to respond, but Carlisle let me know in his mind that he would explain.

"It is true that a vampire's natural food source is that of human blood, however, that is not how we as a family choose to exist. Animal blood sustains us which is why we are able to live amongst humans without having the need to feed be as strong," Carlisle said. He then proceeded to tell the story of how he came up with his _vegetarian_ theory and Lana listened intently.

"It's amazing that you were able to find a way around taking lives. It's admirable. Most of the books speak of this species as being cold, blood thirsty, assho-," Lana cut herself off suddenly.

_Was she about to say, what I thought she was about to say? I didn't see that coming. _Carlisle said in his mind. I just shrugged my shoulders in response as Lana continued.

"I mean, psychopaths. But I guess it's a personal choice," Lana said sheepishly. She stared at Carlisle for a long moment before responding.

"I can't believe that you are over 300 years old, Carlisle. You don't look a day over 30," she said shaking her head in amazement. He waved his hand at her bashfully and smiled indulgently. Her eyes glazed over and her face reddened. It was then that I came to understand that she must have been admiring his physical features.

"Emmett brought up the fact that you have the ability to fly and Edward said that you were strong as well. Do you have any other abilities?" Jasper asked while looking at Lana with a curious expression.

"Well, I'm extremely fast. No one's ever tested how fast though so I'm not really sure. My body seems to be impervious to all elements; heat, cold, etc. As you also know, I am able to hear from great distances. I probably could have heard you speaking from my house if I was more familiar with the sounds of your voices. That's another trait we seem to have in common although I'm not sure what your hearing distances are. Also, my body can produce heat."

"Do you mean, like fire?" Alice asked.

"No, not exactly. But if I were to focus it on something that is flammable or highly combustible, it would most definitely produce flame but, what comes from me is not visible to the eye. It's an intense energy. If I were focus hard enough however, it could quite literally obliterate anything within its path. It can come from any part of my body, however, I usually choose my hands or my eyes because I'm able to aim it better that way. Not to mention the fact that I would be left buck-booty-nak-," Lana eyes widened as she cut herself of yet again and we all struggled desperately to hold in our laughter. There was no mistaking what she was about to say that time. It would seem that Lana curses quite a bit on a normal basis.

"I mean I would be left naked if the heat came through my clothing." Lana looked over and took in my amused expression as she continued.

"I'm sure you wondered how the video camera in the elevator conveniently got destroyed. Well…" Lana said pointing at herself with a sheepish smile. I also thought back to earlier today when we shook hands and her indifference. It then became clear that she didn't even notice how cold my hand was.

"My first instinct was to make sure that no one saw anything, especially the security office. So, after things died down, I went to the office and destroyed the tape that showed us in the elevator to coo berate our story of getting out before the incident." Well, at least one of us was thinking. It's hard for me to believe that I didn't think of that automatically, but the shock of the situation was clearly a major distraction at the time.

"I'm so sorry to do this to you Lana but, would you able to demonstrate that power for us? I'll be the first to admit that I am most intrigued by your gifts," Carlisle said. Lana simply nodded in response. She looked over at the fireplace then shook her head.

"That fire place looks too clean to have been used before. Maybe we should go outside," she suggested.

"Absolutely," I said. We all filed out of the double-doors that led to the patio. We walked a bit until we were standing in the middle our vast backyard. We all positioned ourselves at her side where we could see her without being directly in her path. She looked over at the trees that bordered our property.

"I'm going to aim at that larger tree there in the center," she said, pointing to the tree of her choice. Lana dropped her arm to her side then took a deep breath through her nose and the most profound thing happened. Lana's entire body glowed with light and her eyes turned a bright shade of red. They looked similar to that of a newborn vampire.

I'm sure to a normal person, she looked as if she was possessed and it was really quite frightening, even to me. Suddenly a burst of invisible energy surged from her eyes. I could feel it pour out of her from where I stood. I looked to where she aimed, and sure enough the tree exploded as if a bomb had gone off, reducing it to mere splinters as a huge ball of fire engulfed the small area.

"Damn! That was friggin' awesome!" Emmett shouted over the loud roar of the fire.

"Remarkable!" Carlisle shouted, completely amazed. I, however, was stunned into silence. All I could do was watch the flames in disbelief.

"How the hell are we going to put it out now?" Rosalie asked slightly panicked.

Lana then reached out and pointed the palm of her hand towards the fire. Suddenly, the flame came rushing towards us and I grabbed Bella and dove to the ground covering her body with my own as the rest of my family did the same. But instead of the fire consuming all of us, it simply disappeared into Lana's palm and she closed her hand into a fist that glowed orange with the flame.

When we all realized that the coast was clear, we stood and stared at Lana in disbelief. Never before in all of my years of walking this earth had I seen anything like that before.

"I guess I should have mentioned that I can draw it in as well, huh?" Lana said sheepishly.

"That was positively amazing, Lana," Carlisle said. He walked over to her and looked at her hand.

"May I?" Carlisle asked politely.

"Sure," she said. She gave him her hand and he examined it closely and there wasn't even a scratch on it, not even dirt from the fire.

"Her palm isn't even heated," Carlisle whispered.

"Unbelievable," Jasper said. Lana shifted uncomfortably as we all stared at her. Luckily Esme stepped in and snapped us out of our shock.

"Let's all go back inside. I think there's been enough excitement for the evening and I'm sure Lana will feel more comfortable if we all stop staring at her," Esme added. We all agreed and walked towards the house. When Lana came close to the group, everyone gave her a wide berth as if they were afraid of touching her and I could see the sadness in her eyes.

I guided Bella over to Lana and I offered her my other arm. She smiled brightly and linked her arm with mine and the three of us walked into the house together. I looked over at Bella and she gifted me with proud smile as she kissed my shoulder, which confused me. When everyone took their seats, I spoke right away to explain our behavior.

"I apologize if we offended you a moment ago. But you have to understand that there is only one thing that can destroy a vampire completely, and that is fire, of which you can produce on demand," I said. Her mouth formed and O and she nodded in understanding.

"That explains things. I'm sorry I scared you guys out there. Like I said, I should have told you that I can absorb the flame."

"Don't worry yourself, Lana. I'm sure you're not really used to explaining your abilities to anyone," Esme said.

"Thank you," she said. I decided that it was time to be back on the subject at hand.

"While we were in the elevator yesterday, what were you thinking as we fell?" I asked.

"Honestly, I was considering knocking you unconscious but I didn't want to risk killing you." Hmm…I wonder what my reaction would have been had she attempted that? She continued with her story.

"Humans are fragile and if something went wrong, I would never have gotten over it. So I decided to take a chance but the most important thing to me was to get you out of there. I was just about to take action when you punched through the wall, and to say that I was shocked would have been an understatement. I never suspected that any of you were anything other than human." She smiled and looked around the room.

"I mean, you are all _exceptionally_ good looking, but I just thought that it ran in the family," she said. We all sniggered at her comment. It was good to hear this from her perspective. But I had to ask her the one question that had been on my mind since everything happened.

"When security attempted to open the doors why did you help me? You could have easily stood by while security came in without exposing yourself at all." She was quiet a moment before she responded.

"I know how it feels to have to hide who you are, and the fear of being picked apart by everyone around you if they were to ever find out that you weren't like them. So the fact that you acted to save me without any consideration for your own well being made me realize that I couldn't just stand there and do nothing," she said looking down at her hands.

"It would have been really fucked-" she stopped again suddenly when I arched my brow at her foul language and slapped her hand over her mouth.

"I'm sorry about that." I could tell that she was embarrassed by her slip and I could see Emmett smirking me.

"As I was saying, it would have been _cowardly_ of me to watch you be picked apart while I stood by acting as if I wasn't in your exact situation." What she didn't know was that it was highly probable that none would have survived to tell the tale had anyone actually witnessed my actions. But I didn't think that it was the best idea to express that. She didn't need to know how close she came to witnessing or being a victim of a massacre.

"I knew that I had the power to help you and I would rather have you know everything, than let you be subjected to what could only be described as my worst nightmare come true."

Before this moment, I had already gathered that there was a kindness in her. To risk exposure to save a complete stranger; a monster such as I, made this abundantly clear. But now I knew that she was much more than that. She was like my Bella; she was selfless and courageous. I was completely awestruck as I stared at her.

"Thank you so much for risking yourself to save me, Edward. No one besides my parents has ever done anything like that for me before. You had so many other options to save yourself, yet you did what you could to help me and I want you to know how truly grateful I am for that," she said as tears began to fill her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. She cleared her throat and wiped her nose with the back of her hand quickly. I smirked and I stood from my seat and walked over to her. I kneeled down in front of her and took her hands in mine.

"And I thank you as well for all that you did for me. You have my gratitude, Lana Lankford, and I am indebted to you for protecting me and my family." She graced me with a tender smile which I returned and gave my hands a gentle squeeze.

When I looked around, everyone in the room was staring at us in curiosity. I guess I could understand their reaction since I rarely ever showed anyone outside of my family any tenderness. When I looked over at Bella, I was taken aback by her expression. I looked at her closely and the look on her face could not possibly be the emotion I thought it was. Anger? But anger in this situation would have been brought on by one thing. Jealousy. Whatever for?

Bella knows that I love her more than anything and that there will never be another for me. Lana meant nothing to me in a romantic sense and due to her actions the only thing I felt for her was the highest level of admiration and gratitude. But who wouldn't feel that way when someone risked so much to help you? Surely Bella understood this. So maybe I was yet again making the wrong assumptions. If only I could know for sure what she was thinking; then I could know what the true issues were.

As my mind raced, I slowly started to see why Bella and Jacob had such a strong bond. He saved her in her moment of weakness and with that comes a special connection. I had never had that with anyone except Carlisle and now I have it with Lana. I just hoped that Bella understood my motives.

**BPOV**

Alright, it was official. I wanted to kill her. Looking at her hands within Edward's, I truly understood what jealous rage felt like. I understood how a person could snap and do something they would later regret, because the impulse right now was stronger than I'd ever felt. I would be completely satisfied with ripping her hands right off her wrists and dragging Edward off into the night and having my wicked way with him.

_How dare he touch her in front of me this way! He's mine! Not hers, mine! I will show him, he'd learn that he was mine! _

A wave of calm suddenly flowed over me and my eyes closed involuntarily. When I opened them finally, I noticed Jasper's concerned eyes on me for the second time this day. Once the haze of rage cleared, I was instantly horrified with myself yet again.

What on earth was happening here? I've never felt this way before! It's becoming harder for me to think sensibly, it's like I can barely control myself around her and it's only been twenty-four hours. She's done nothing to deserve my ire and there is nothing on earth that could ever break a love like mine and Edward's.

I need to get over this _now._ I can't allow myself to lose control over something so ridiculous. There was no way that I could speak to Edward about this. I was far too ashamed of myself to admit these feelings to anyone because they would all say that I was certifiable. But, maybe I could speak to Jasper since he knows firsthand what I was feeling. No matter what, I needed to take action soon or the result could be deadly.

**EPOV **

I released Lana hands immediately. I didn't like the negative energy that was radiating from Bella and I could tell from the way Lana's hands tensed within mine that she noticed it as well. She smoothed her hair nervously, and spoke to break the tension.

"Well, I realize that vampires are extremely fast, strong, and have exceptional hearing. Are those your only traits?" I stood from my place in front of her and took her lead by answering the question.

"Well, Alice is able to see the future and Jasper is able to control the moods around him-" She cut me off by raising her hand.

"Wait a minute, is that why I felt so relaxed earlier?" she asked looking over at Jasper and he smiled innocently.

"You didn't give me much of a choice in the matter. You were a nervous wreck when you first got here and being that I'm sensitive to the feelings around me, I thought it would be best to help," he said in his southern drawl and he couldn't contain his laughter any longer. She just sat there with her mouth opened slightly.

"And Alice is a psychic? That's unbelievable!" Her eyes widened and she looked at Alice frantically. "Maybe you can help me figure out where I came from!"

"It doesn't always work on demand and believe me Lana, I've tried to figure things out ever since Edward told us about you. But unfortunately, when it comes to you, I can't see anything," Alice said sadly. Lana's shoulders fell and she released a shuddered breath.

"Oh. I understand," she said sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Lana. You have no idea how much I wish that I could help you," Alice said.

"It's alright Alice." I could tell that she was frustrated by her situation so I redirected the conversation back to where it was.

"As I was saying, Jasper can control the moods around him and I can hear people's thoughts." Lana was silent a moment before she finally responded.

"What the fuck?" she shouted. Esme's quick intake of breath reminded her that her language might not have been appreciated.

"I'm so sorry, it just slips out sometimes." She looked like a deer caught in headlights at that moment. I kept my eyes on her and the longer I did, the more hilarious her expression became. I had no idea what was going through her mind, but I could tell that she was terrified of my gift. This made me curious. How I longed to know what she was so embarrassed of. I remained quiet and a huge smile lit my face as her face went up in flames. It was then that I decided to let her off the hook.

"Yes, I can read minds, but for some reason, I am unable to read Bella's mind or yours." Lana's eyes closed in relief and she released the breath that she had been holding.

"That's good to know that my thoughts are private. I wonder why it is that you can't hear me or Bella?" To my surprise Bella leaned forward and spoke.

"Like you Lana, I was ecstatic that Edward didn't have the inside track on my thoughts. We found out later on that I am considered a _shield_ amongst my kind. Which means that it is my natural instinct is to keep people out. I'm not sure why Edward can't hear your thoughts. The only thing I can say is be thankful, I certainly am," Bella said playfully. I still couldn't get past her reaction earlier and how different she seemed now.

"That's a very useful power being able to keep out mental attacks," Lana said while contemplating what she heard. She stared at Bella intensely for a moment which confused me, but then shook her head. I kept my eyes on the two of them and it was as if nothing happened. I began to think that maybe all of this truly was within my own head, but because of how quickly Bella's demeanor changed, I was certain that Jasper had stepped in again. It was obvious that something was wrong here and I needed to know what it was, but now was not the time.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't help in a physical attack but we're more than capable of protecting ourselves. However, if someone had an ability to inflict pain through mental means, it's invaluable," I said taking Bella's hand. I looked at her in her eyes and got lost within them, when movement in my peripheral vision caught my attention. I looked over at Lana and she was staring at the two of us with a tender smile. She looked at her watch and her eyes widened.

"I should be getting home before my parents begin to worry about me. They think that I went to the library and then to the mall tonight. If they knew what I was really up to, they would have probably insisted on coming here with me and I didn't need them freaking out over nothing," she said while standing up to get her purse.

"Lana, your parents don't know about what happened yesterday?" Carlisle asked and everyone froze. She looked down like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"No, not yet. I plan on telling them, but I wanted to make sure that everything was okay beforehand. They have a knack for overreacting over everything anyway and it's ten times worse when it comes to me. I plan on telling them soon, especially now that we have all become friends." As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes widened suddenly.

"Not that I'm forcing myself on you guys or anything! I didn't mean to presume anything…I mean I hope that we-" I cut her off by raising my hand.

"We _are_ most definitely your friends now, Lana," I said. She smiled at me in relief and looked at all of us nervously.

"I really want to thank you all for spending this evening with me. It means more to me than any of you even know," she said looking down. I sensed that she didn't like showing much emotion which I found to be quite interesting.

Esme walked over to Lana and hugged her tightly while Alice came over and hugged Lana from behind as well. Her face flushed and I thought that maybe it was from happiness, until she spoke of course.

"Guys, I know that I'm very sturdy, but I can't take two tight inhuman hugs at the same time," Lana said in a strained voice.

Esme and Alice smiled brightly and released her from their hug. There was a blur of movement and suddenly, Lana was trapped by Emmett in a bear hug.

"Fuck!" Lana shouted, clearly forgetting her language again. "Emmett…I…can't...breathe," she struggled to say. He released her with a sheepish grin and ruffled her hair which made her squeal and hit at his hand. I struggled to contain my laughter at the two of them. Lana wished everyone else a good night and I followed her out of the front door.

After a few seconds, Lana casually turned her head in my direction and to my complete shock she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Ahhhhh!" She screamed and threw her purse up in the air. I caught it neatly before it hit the ground as I stared at her in amusement. I guess she didn't realize that I was walking beside her. What a strange child she is.

"You're like a fucking ninja!" she exclaimed. I truly found it hard to believe that someone so lovely spoke with such foul language. I smiled and put my hands up to show her that I meant no harm.

"I'm sorry that I scared you. I thought you knew that I was here with your hearing and all," I said handing her purse to her which she accepted.

"No, I'm sorry for freaking out on you like that. You're so quiet and I'm just not used to anyone being able to sneak up on me like that. Humans are a little louder when they walk."

"Understandable. Thank you so much for coming tonight. It was very nice getting to know you. You are welcome here any time," I said.

"I had a really good time myself, your family is great. It was nice not having to hide. You know?"

"Yes, I know what you mean all too well," I said while shaking my head and then a thought popped into my mind that saddened me. It was probably like this for her for many years.

"I just hate knowing that you haven't had anyone you can talk to other than your parents about this. It must have been very lonely for you."

"It has been hard, but now that I know there are others out there who are _different_ like me, it makes me feel so much better. You aren't exactly my kind, but you can relate and that's close enough for me." I couldn't help but smile at her response. I leaned forward and planted a swift fatherly kiss on the top of her head.

"Good night Lana, I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"Thanks again for everything, Edward. Goodnight." She climbed into her truck and pulled away. As I watched her car get further and further away, I smiled to myself at the irony of this situation. Out of a truly horrible day, I came away reasonably unscathed and with a new addition to my odd existence.

Somehow deep down, I knew that all of this must have happened for a reason. Now what that reason was, had yet to be revealed, but I had a feeling that this mysterious young being would somehow change everything and I had a feeling that it would definitely be for the better.

**AN: And there you have it. As always, let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_**Beta'd by: **_**RKD-CULLEN**

**EPOV**

Another month has come and gone. Although it's had its challenges, everything seemed to be back in reasonable order. Whenever I rehashed mine and Bella's colorful past, I could say with all sincerity that boredom was welcomed with open arms.

During that first twenty-four hour period that Lana came into our existence, I honestly had my doubts that the world as I knew it would ever be normal again. I was happy to be wrong in this regard, especially as I recalled Bella's strong reaction to my new friend.

However, it seemed by outward appearances that my Bella has finally realized that there was nothing to fear; yet, I still felt this overwhelming sense of unease.

I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more going on inside Bella's mind than I was aware of, even though I had no proof to back up my suspicions. So, I continued to keep a watchful eye on the two of them whenever they were in the same vicinity. Either I was imagining things again, or Bella had become more skilled in art of masking her emotions.

I honestly didn't know what to think anymore.

After our first official meeting, Lana has become a natural and welcomed addition to our small family. After school more often than not, Lana spent majority of her time at our home, and I was pleased that she comfortable with doing so.

The only sketchy part of the situation was the fact that Lana's parents still weren't privy to our friendship and I was becoming increasingly concerned as time went on.

It was Friday so, like always, Lana sat in our living room after school studying. It was quite humorous how angry she became whenever she noticed that none of my family had the need to prepare for classes, but I explained that this did not come without a price. When she learned of our constant need to matriculate every decade, it usually silenced her rant.

Carlisle brought up the subject of her parents again, which as a result, dampened Lana's mood considerably. I was unclear as to why she was so hesitant to reveal our friendship to them, but Lana finally shared her reasoning.

"Honestly, I haven't the faintest idea what to tell them and what not to tell them without revealing anything about you. I promised you that your secret was safe with me, but telling them any part of what you can do will only raise more suspicion."

"Secondly, my parents have a knack for overreacting, and when it comes to my secret their normal reaction intensifies by a hundred. That is the main reason for my hesitation." Lana's unquestionable loyalty considering she'd only known us a short while was staggering.

"I'm sorry, Lana," I said sheepishly, "I should have considered that before. I wasn't thinking."

"There's no reason to apologize, Edward. This is strange territory. I know that I need to tell them, I just have no idea how to play this," Lana said.

"Perhaps I should be there with you when explains things to them," I said looking at her in concern.

"I don't think that's a good idea. It might be too much for them all at once to have you there; although I'm sure a meeting will be inevitable I the near future."

"Well, whatever you think is best, but I'm willing to be there all the same," I said hesitantly.

"I know that you want to maintain a level of privacy for obvious reasons, but considering my existence in their lives, would it really be that big of a deal if my parents know what you are?"

"It's safest for everyone if they don't know that our kind exists. This is the one and only rule that we have, and there are severe consequences if it is broken," I said.

"There are rules for vampires?" Lana said humorously, "Who enforces these rules?"

The smile left Lana's face the moment we told her about The Volturi, and the role they play as the enforcers of our kind. I knew that she wouldn't risk her parent's safety under any circumstances, and from the fear I saw in her eyes, I was also certain that she would never intentionally cause us suffering either.

Lana was right. This would be hard for her to explain having to omit certain details. Esme noticed Lana's stillness and immediately walked over and hugged her shoulders tightly.

Within the very second that Lana turned to smile at Esme, all hell seemed to break loose; well, at least in my mind. No one else within the room would have noticed yet, because he was still too far away for any of us to pick up his scent. I froze in place and stared at Lana in horror. I attempted to speak calmly so that she wouldn't panic.

"Lana, I think this conversation will happen a lot sooner than you anticipated. Your father is on his way here, he's on foot," Lana looked at me as if I'd grown another head.

"I don't understand. How does he even know where I am or how to get here for that matter?" Lana asked as her heartbeat increased.

"Apparently, he's noticed a change in you lately, and he decided to follow you home from school today with the hope of solving the riddle. It's all he's thinking about at the moment."

"Ah, hell!" Lana exclaimed as she threw her hand up in the air angrily and rose from the couch. She proceeded to pace the room nervously, then several minutes later there was a loud banging on the front door and we all froze in place.

"LANA LANKFORD! YOU COME OUT HERE THIS VERY SECOND, YOUNG LADY!" Her father shouted from the front porch.

_Oh God, why is this happening to me? I can't believe he fucking followed me! This is why I hate having to drive around like a human._

I turned quickly towards Lana and realized that her mouth wasn't moving as she continued.

_I can't fucking believe this is happening! _

Her thoughts! I could hear her thoughts! Whatever it was that blocks me from her mind was gone during her moment of panic, I zoned in and focused on the memories that were swirling around. However, once she calmed herself the connection was gone, and the block was firmly back in place.

My mind continued to reel as everyone else in the room glanced at each other with tense expressions. It was clear that Lana had no idea how to handle this situation.

"What am I going to say to him?" Lana whispered helplessly. Carlisle walked over to her and squeezed both of her shoulders in a fatherly manner, giving her a warm smile.

"I'm sure that your father is only concerned about your well being. Just be as honest as you can be," Carlisle said as we both led her to the front door.

Lana took a deep breath as Carlisle opened the door. Her father's face was flushed with anger as he glared directly at Lana. He was a man of rugged completion; tall and lean with dark brown hair. When his blue-eyed gaze fell upon both me and Carlisle, some of his anger was momentarily replaced by awe, and almost instantly it turned to fear.

As I continued to stare at the man in front of me, I realized that he was positively covered in filth, and his clothing was tattered.

As Carlisle and I took in his appearance in shock, Lana's father shifted uncomfortably as he became aware of our questioning stares. I could then see exactly what took place in his mind and I struggled to contain my laughter.

Lana shrank back fearfully like a naughty child under her father's stare. It was actually quite comical; she's one of the most power beings I've ever encountered, yet this highly breakable human seemed more dominant.

"I don't want to hear a word from you right now. Get your things and let's go home," As he turned and walked away from her, Lana gasped.

"What the _fuck_ happened to him?" she exclaimed before she could stop herself, as she seemed to finally notice his appearance. Carlisle and I cleared our throats to conceal our laughter, as Lana walked back into the living room to retrieve her belongings.

I had to admit that the entire situation was somewhat hilarious. I was just about to tell her the reasons for his appearance, when I noticed her petrified expression that alone sobered me.

"Lana, please let me go with you and help you explain things to your parents. I don't think you should go through this alone," I said while looking into her eyes.

"No, I need to handle this on my own. I shouldn't have waited this long to tell them this regardless of anything. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Hopefully, I'll see you all tomorrow; that is: if I'm still alive. I'm really sorry about all of this."

As she turned to walk out of the front door, I gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her to me, hugging her briefly. Once I released her, Lana walked out of the house and met her father who was waiting by her truck.

They didn't speak to one another, but I could see in his mind that he wanted her to drive him back to where he had left his car as they pulled away. Alice approached me as I closed the front door and I saw the vision in her mind.

"This is going to be a hard evening for her; they will have a very bad argument once they get home," she said and I nodded.

"I could feel the anger and the hurt coming off him in waves," Jasper added from the living room.

"I was afraid of that. Do you think I should go there?" I asked. Alice went silent and I could see the different scenarios going through her head. It ended with her leaving the house.

"Yes. I think that she'll probably need someone to talk to once that happens."

"Good. Just, keep your distance from the house," Alice said. Bella was standing by the foyer doors and I approached her quickly.

"I'm going catch up with them, I shouldn't be long," I said.

"Okay, I'll see you soon," Bella said as she kissed my cheek and walked away from me quickly. She seemed troubled, and I automatically didn't feel right leaving her. So instead, I followed her up the stairs and met her at our bedroom door.

"Love, if you don't want me to go just say the word, and I'll stay," I said.

"No, Edward, you have to go. She needs someone to be there for her like Alice said. I'm sorry if I seem upset, but just witnessing her father like that, made me think about Charlie. He would have reacted the same way and I realized how much I miss him." I stared at her a moment as the guilt of what I've deprived her of took hold.

"I'm so very sorry that it had to be this way," I said sadly.

"Hey," she said she cupped my face in her hands, "_I'm_ not sorry that I married you, and I'm not sorry for starting our new life together; not one bit. It's normal for a girl to miss her father after leaving home. I might be an immortal now, but I still have some human feelings and emotions, right?" She said as she caressed my cheek.

"Yes, you do have a point there," I said with a smile. I pulled her into a tight hug, breathing in her glorious scent for a moment longer.

"Go, Edward, you're losing time," Bella urged and I gave her a lingering kiss before reluctantly pulling away.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, love," I said.

I sped down the hall way, leapt from the second story window and landed quietly on the grass. I took off in the direction of Lana's vehicle at full speed. By the time I caught up with them, they had just pulled into the driveway of their home.

Lana's father was still extremely angry, but I could see that he was more so hurt. He hated the fact that she was keeping things from them and he felt as if she was slipping away from him. His love for his daughter was obvious, and I knew that he wouldn't hesitate to give his life to protect her.

Once he turned off the engine of his car, he stalked towards the house without even a glance in Lana's direction. She took a deep breath and got out of her car and followed him into the kitchen which was right off the back door. Once they were both inside, I climbed the tree across the street from their home and I watched the events unfold through her father's mind.

Her mother was already there sitting at the kitchen table with tears streaming down her face. Alice was right; this was going to be a very difficult conversation. I could feel it already.

Lana stood in front of them looking at the floor and then torrent began.

"Lana, can you please explain to me who those people are, and more importantly, what you were doing there? You said that you were going to the library to study. Is this where you've really been going all this time?" her father asked calmly.

I smirked as I thought about his filthy appearance and nearly laughed loudly as the events of his dramatic fall filled his mind.

"Yes, I have been spending almost all of my free time there. I'm sorry that I lied to you both, but I just didn't know how to tell you what's been going on without freaking you out," Lana said while she stared at the floor.

"How long?" her father asked.

"A month," she mumbled. Her father huffed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Lana, we have never had any secrets between us before. Why couldn't you tell us this?" Lana's father asked as her mother continued to stare at the table. From Lana's expression, I could tell that hurting them truly ate away at her.

She explained to them in depth what happened between the two of us last month, leaving out the details of our species, of course. She merely told them that I was strong like her, and that I had always been that way. They listened without interruption and her mother's face was frozen in horror, but she felt better now that she knew there wasn't anything twisted going on.

"Why didn't you tell us this right away? You know that protecting you is our number one priority," her mother said speaking for the first time.

"You've been through so much taking care of me all of these years, that I thought that I would try and handle this myself. Besides, everything turned out alright anyway. The Cullen's are wonderful and they would never tell a soul about me."

"Your heart was in the right place, but we need to know things like this. We are a family and we handle things together," her father said.

"I know that, Dad and I'm so sorry that I kept this from you, but I know how you would have reacted and I just couldn't bear leaving another home again. At the same time, look at what I've gained from this situation. I finally have others in my life that truly accept and understand me completely. You know that's all that I've ever wanted."

"We know that, sweetie and we're sorry that things couldn't have been different, but we don't know anything about these people or what they are capable of. I know you believe that you know them, but who's to say that they won't turn around and tell someone?" her father asked.

I could tell from Lana's expression that her patience was teetering on the edge at this point due to what they were implying. Although their assumptions about me and my family couldn't have been further from the truth, I honestly I couldn't blame them for being overly cautious.

"I know them quite well, especially Edward. He would never say anything to anyone about me. Please try to remember that he is _different _too. His need for secrecy is just at essential as mine," Lana said in the calmest tone she could muster considering how infuriated she appeared.

"It's normal for you to want to be able to relate to someone, but-"

"Normal!?" Lana shouted in outrage, cutting her father off, and officially losing her temper. She quickly walked over to the sink and picked up a large butcher's knife that was lying there as her father leapt to his feet.

"Does this seem normal to you?" At that moment, she lifted the blade high in the air with both hands and drove it into the pit of stomach full force.

Her mother screamed in terror, as her father ran over to her and attempted to pull her hands away from her body. She moved her hands away and he worriedly pulled the hem of her torn shirt up to survey the damage the blade should have caused to her abdomen. There wasn't a scratch on her, not even a welt was evident.

Her father then looked at her hands and saw that the knife she held was mangled like an accordion, instead of the long shiny blade it had once been.

"Have you not heard a word that I've said?" She shouted as she tossed the ruined knife onto the table causing her parents to jump in surprise.

"I destroyed a security camera with my eyes from a few feet away! I ripped off the roof of an elevator with one hand, and flew out of the shaft holding a fully grown man with my other arm! I think based on the evidence, it's pretty clear that I'm not normal! I never have been and I never will be!"

"Now hold on a minute, Lana," Her father said in a tone meant to soothe.

"No, you hold on!" She countered even louder, "Finally, after all these years of never being able to truly connect with anyone besides the two of you, I find others that I can be myself around without lying and hiding; and instead of being happy for me, you automatically make it out to be sorted and disingenuous!"

"You know that's not at all what we are trying to do! We only want to protect you!" Her mother cried.

"I don't know who I am or where I came from! I've lost everything about my life before you found me, and I absolutely refuse to lose anyone or anything else that I've gained since then!" Lana turned ran from the kitchen at top speed. She was already off their property by the time they registered the fact that she was gone.

I immediately jumped from the tree and went after her. Once I caught up to her, I found her sitting on the ground, struggling to keep her emotions in check.

With a shuddered sighed, she finally gave up buried her face in her hands and wept. Her shoulders shook with the power of her sobs, and when I finally decided to make my presence known. I walked over and sat next to her on the ground.

She lifted her head in surprise once she realized that someone was beside her.

"Like I said before, Edward Cullen, you're a friggen ninja," she croaked out. I didn't respond, I just simply wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her into my side in a brotherly way. I realized at that moment, that she was indeed a sister to me in every sense of the word.

"How did you find me?" she asked after a few minutes.

"After you left, Alice had a vision of how your parents were going to react once you told them. She couldn't see you of course, but she did hear what they said, and saw them alone after a while. She assumed that you would leave at some point, so I followed you and your father home. I wanted to make sure that you were alright."

"Thank you, Edward. You truly are good friend," she said as she cried.

"You are our family now," I said while placing my head on top of hers.

We sat there on the ground for a while and just talked. I wanted to take her mind off of things so that when she went home, she was in a better frame of mind to face her parents.

I could tell from Lana's eyes, that she was extremely tired. It was odd to me that she had a lot of human traits. She ate and slept like they do, but she was completely different in every other way.

"Lana, I think you need to head back home now, you look exhausted," I said. At that moment she gave a long yawn and stretched her arms above her head.

"Yeah, guess I have to go home soon enough and it might as well be now. Thank you so much for staying with me," she said with a weak smile.

"That's what families are for right?" I stood up and reached my hand down to help her. She accepted it and stood up while wiping the grass from her pants.

"You get home too, Edward. I'm sure Bella is missing you like crazy," she said.

"Alright, but call me if you need to."

"Edward, it's really late and I'm sure that you are tired too after such a long day. Get some sleep, okay?" Lana said. I blinked a couple of times before laughter erupted from my throat. I hadn't realized that this subject had not come up before.

"What did I say?" Lana asked in confusion.

"Lana, vampires don't sleep," I said.

Ever?" she whispered.

"No never, we are creatures of the night, remember?" Her eyes suddenly widened to the size of baseballs.

"Get the fuck out of here! Are you serious?" Why was that almost every time this young lady opened her mouth, I felt as if I was trapped in an episode of The Sopranos due to her language? I didn't answer her right away. I just continued to stare at her with a smirk, and a raised eyebrow, and she immediately understood my thoughts and ducked her head as if she was being chastised.

"I'm very serious, we don't sleep, not at all."

After a moment of staring at me, she closed her mouth and nodded her head. A few seconds later, a sly smile appeared on her face and she looked at me as if she was sizing me up. What on earth was this child up to now?

"I'll race you back to the house? Come on Eddie, let's see what you got," she said enthusiastically. I frowned at her and decided that I would beat her at all costs.

"Are you sure that you can keep up?" I gave her a devious smile.

"I think I can handle it," Lana said sarcastically.

"Now that I think about it, why don't we make things a little more interesting?"

"You mean a wager, Eddie?" Lana asked and I nodded, "What are the stakes?"

"If I win, you will never call me Eddie ever again. If you win, you get to call me anything you like. Do we have a deal?" I asked as I extended my hand for her to shake.

"Deal," she said as she slapped my hand instead of shaking it. We both stood side by side on the balls of our feet in preparation.

"Okay, on three," I said. "One. Two. Three!" We both shouted three at the same time. At that moment we both shot forward like bullets out of a gun. Everything around me was a streaking blur, and I must admit that she was indeed very fast.

Lana kept pace with me and at one point, we were neck and neck. She might have a lot of extra abilities under her belt, but I was still faster. I arrived at the house first, with her hot on my heels. We laughed hysterically as she bowed before me, and declared me the all-powerful, victorious winner.

Once we got our laughter under control, she sighed as she turned and looked at her house. A single light was on in the front of the house and I could hear her parent's thoughts. They were very worried about her.

"You'd better head inside, they are waiting for you." I said turning to her with a serious expression.

"I just don't have the energy to argue about this anymore. Maybe I should sneak in through the window and lock my bedroom door," Lana said while biting her bottom lip nervously.

"I don't think there will be any need for that. They both seem to be calm right now, but they fear that you aren't going to come back to them," She nodded her head as she closed her pained eyes. I was very hesitant to leave her, but I knew that she needed to face them alone. From what I could tell, everything would be alright.

"I wonder why my father was so filthy earlier," I had almost forgotten about that, and it brought an immediate smile to my face.

"It would seem that your father lost track of your car when he was following you, and he decided to walk a bit to find the house since we are so far back in the woods. He tripped over a tree branch and went tumbling down a steep hill just outside of our property. I'm astonished that he didn't break anything."

At her surprised gasp, the laughter I held in check erupted from my throat as I pictured the whole situation unfold. His screams and uttered curses as he fell made it all the more hilarious.

When I finally regained my senses, I noticed that Lana was bent over holding her stomach in complete hysterics.

"No wonder he was so pissed, he must have been so humiliated! That serves him right! Broke-ass, Sherlock Holmes!" She strained out through her laughter. We finally got ourselves under control again and she looked at the house.

"Well, it's time to face the music. I'll see you tomorrow and tell Alice that I said _good looking out_," she said and turned to go into the house.

"Oh, and for the record, Lana," I said halting her steps, "Stabbing yourself with a butcher's knife in front of your human parents just to make a point, was a tad bit over the top if I do say so myself," I said smirking.

Lana turned and looked at me with a surprised smile. I gave her a wink and gestured for her to go inside with my hand and she followed my instruction. I decided to stick around just in case my assumptions were wrong.

Lana walked into the back door and shut it quietly. The house remained dark with the exception of the living room where her parents were waiting. Her father was pacing back and forth anxiously. She walked into the room and they both looked in her direction.

Her mother leapt from the couch and ran to her, embracing her as tightly as possible. Her father walked over and wrapped his arms around both of them while kissing the tops of their heads. He had changed clothes and showered, thankfully.

I wasn't sure if Lana would be able to compose herself if he hadn't. Their fear of her disappearing was prominent in their minds. To them she appeared out of thin air and they assumed that their little miracle would disappear just as suddenly.

"We're so sorry. We didn't fully understand how much they mean to you, and we didn't mean to make light of that," her father said while releasing them both.

"Our only concern is protecting you. We just didn't want anyone to exploit you, but if you trust the Cullen's, then so do we," her mother said with a warm smile.

"No, I'm the one that should be apologizing. I never should have kept all of this from you for so long, but I wanted to do the worrying for you just this once. You'll never understand how guilty I feel knowing how much stress I've brought into your lives," Lana said while looking down at the floor.

"Lana, you are the very best part of our lives. We don't know what we would have ever done without you. I never want you to feel like you are a burden or that you've caused us any pain because the happiness you've brought to us far outweighs anything else; the decisions we made were our own. We decided to raise you and we've never once regretted it. We couldn't have asked for a better child," her father said.

"I love you both so much," Lana said hugging them both again.

All was well, I thought with a nod of my head, and I realized that I couldn't wait another minute to get home. I'm sure that Lana was right about Bella missing my presence, but she had no idea how much I missed my wife in return; how desperately I needed her to survive more than I even needed blood. With a smile, I launched myself forward as fast as I could. The sooner that I got home, the sooner I would see my angel's face.

**AN: So, we have a little insight into Lana's family life. Next chapter, I will add a Lana POV just so you can get a feel of who she is as an individual. Personally, I absolutely love her character, but I'm biased. As always, let me know what you think.**


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